XX09
by Chibizoo
Summary: What would you do if you were the last? In a futuristic broken world of darkness, one soul seeks to understand a forgotten secret, a secret promising to bring back the light. But there is only one chance…*last chapter up*
1. Entry 01

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. Actually, I am an ancient entity from the   
Millennium Pen, and once in a while, I possess Kazuki Takahashi to make him write   
insane works. Yeah.   
  
Finally, I decided to get to work on my second Yu-Gi-Oh epic. You can think of this   
fic as my first attempt at a purely YGO epic. I stress the word epic.   
  
Foreward: A few notes before I get started. This fic is an AU (Alternate Universe), as   
I am very partial to them. Also, I have tried to make this fic into a movie format. I will   
add decent amounts of self-thought, but less so, since the point of story is for you to   
piece together the ideas. Oh, and the intro's a bit long. Just be patient.   
  
Enough. Let's get started – I don't want to keep you here forever.   
  
************************************  
  
  
  
  
It only took one whisper to break the silence.   
  
And then, the whisper grew into a million chatters. The sound swept across the   
valley of dreary grey clouds, breaking their hidden white faces and scattering a billion   
fragments of echoes.   
  
The blackened city danced with surreal light as the echoes vibrated off the   
jagged, ebony buildings. Just a sliver of light shot through the sky, its arching path   
tracing the darkness beneath it. Lurid statues, faded and hidden under the taller,   
looming buildings, momentarily leapt into prominence under the light.   
  
And then, they disappeared, swallowed into the darkness again as the light   
retreated back to the sanctity of the clouds. The large, grey clouds seemed to hover   
hesitantly before once again, another brave whisper sought to end the silence.   
  
The whisper again grew into a roar, and the roar into rumble, soon   
complimented by another brilliant arc of perfect-blue light.   
  
And watching it all was the city. The blackened city, with a million histories, a   
millions stories, a million secrets. Forgotten. All forgotten.   
  
Gone, just like that streak of light, to be lost again.   
  
In the once-splendid network of concrete buildings and wires lay a shell of   
broken cement and metal.   
  
And now, even illuminated by the glorious display of light and sound, the city   
knew no other name.   
  
Welcome to Hell City, year 5093 AD.   
  
Sector: XX09  
  
********************************  
  
XX09  
  
"Rain dancer, show me Eternity and let me sleep forever"  
  
  
Entry 0.1.  
  
He gasped as he ran, breath sighing in heavy tremours, one pale, clammy hand   
grasped tightly to the other's. All around him, the rain dripped and fell in heavy   
plunks. They danced, globules of glistening silver liquid, strung together in a single,   
perpetual rhythm. They were the tears of the sky, the sorrow of the clouds, the blood   
of the angels.   
  
But for him, they were his only source of hope.   
  
At long last, the never-ending pummel of ice-cold rain brought with it a   
blanket of frigid fog. Everything around him seemed to waver and fade, like a ghostly   
apparition, the once-concrete walls turning into uncertain visions of grey and white.   
  
His large eyes peered from the looming folds of his darkened, damp cloak.   
They stared silently at the eerie landscape around him, never daring to betray the fear   
swirling around their grey-violet irises. And all the time, as he faltered and stumbled   
over the path of ruined buildings and broken concrete, he kept a single hand firmly   
attached to the other.   
  
He was running now, trailing behind the other like a lost puppy, feet hitting   
the ground in wet smacks. Some of the dark water sprung to his legs, collecting on the   
fabric of his cloak in darkened clumps, spreading as the rainwater diluted the stains.   
  
What was he? For sure, the pairs of curious eyes watching him voiced the   
same comments as they stared from the hidden rafters. Sets of crafty glowing pupils   
blinked into existence from the darkness around the fleeing figures, expressions   
varying from confusion to wonder.   
  
These figures, these two, singular, fleeting figures, were not locals. It was   
impossible. No one dared to run on open ground, not even in the thickest of fogs.   
There were eyes everywhere that watched you. Betraying, invisible eyes that analyzed   
every thought and condemned the unworthy.   
  
And for the eyes, everything was unworthy.   
  
Eventually, the pair reached a small overhang, the larger of the two swiftly   
pulling the other into a protective embrace once they were safely hidden under the   
scant shelter. Torrents of rainwater pooled and dribbled noisily around them while the   
fog muffled the slightest movement and sound.   
  
And still, they were not safe. For the eyes had already seen them.   
  
He, the smaller of the two, sneezed twice, each one a wet, muffled sound. His   
hood had become slightly ruffled from the movement, partially revealing a crown of   
dazzling red-black hair, ending in jagged arrangements. Framed near his forehead so   
that they fell just slightly over his amethyst eyes were clumps of pure-gold bangs,   
glistening even under the darkness.   
  
And then, there was the face. It was silky-smooth, unnaturally pale and soft to   
the touch. It was the face mirroring those of the ancient marble statures, without the   
rain dribbling across the alabaster skin, and without the millions of cracks and   
blemishes perforating its protective glossy layering.   
  
Hastily, he brought a small hand towards his head, thin, slender digits grasping   
the wet hood. His face disappeared into the dark folds of his cloak once again. The   
small boy, for he was called a "boy", then turned towards the other, burying his   
shrouded head in the protective embrace of the other.   
  
The other was not that much taller than the boy. From where the fabric of the   
hood ended on his face jutted a squat, broken nose, decorated by an untidy layer of   
greyish-white moustache. Coarse ashen-grey hair protruded slightly to curl and wrap   
around his wizened cheekbones. That, and his withered, paltry skin, was evidence   
enough of his age.   
  
"Grandpa," The smaller boy murmured in a quietened, awed voice. "Why are   
we here?"  
  
The other, "Grandpa", momentarily fixated his shrouded eyes at the younger   
one. He gave a weary sigh before beginning to talk slowly, in the same manner one   
would speak to a naïve infant. "Yuugi. I'm sorry for dragging you here, but this is   
very important." To stress the point, Grandpa knelt down until he was face to face   
with the smaller boy. "There is something here, in this city, that could revolutionize   
humanity."  
  
The boy, Yuugi, replied with an expression of confusion. This was not   
because he didn't understand what his Grandpa was speaking about, but rather   
because he failed to see the logic behind his grandpa's words. "What do you mean,   
humanity? Aren't we the-", Here, he faltered, voice dropping once again to a bare   
whisper, "- last?"  
  
"The last that anyone knows of." Grandpa corrected, though his somber eyes   
betrayed the truth. "That's why it's important for us to find it, before…" He trailed   
off, unable to finish the sentence.   
  
"But what are we looking for?" Yuugi asked. "Why did we come all the way   
here?" There was an increasing tone of perplexity in his voice, the tone of someone   
both disbelieving and disapproving.   
  
Grandpa gave another sigh. He seemed to waver a moment before breaking   
into momentary resolve. The elder human brought rested both his hands on the   
smaller boy's shoulders, staring at him directly in the eyes. "Yuugi. Do you remember   
the Game?"  
  
Puzzled, Yuugi nodded.   
  
"Do you remember how to play the Game?"  
  
Another nod.   
  
Grandpa gave a listless smile of satisfaction. "Then that is all you need to   
know. Our task now is to solve a piece of history; one so forgotten that even the most   
preserved archives cannot even penetrate the secrets of its power. With this power, we can alter reality, just like how the Game alters reality."  
  
Yuugi gave a questioning glance. "Is this thing part of the Game?"   
  
Surprisingly, Grandpa chuckled. "No, Yuugi. The Game is part of it. For it is   
this thing that created the Game."  
  
"You keep on saying 'this thing'," Yuugi muttered, annoyed, "Does 'this   
thing' have a name?"  
  
Grandpa paused. He then broke into a wry smile. "Yes. It once had a name,   
just like how everything forgotten once had a name."  
  
Yuugi listened, enraptured, as his Grandpa drifted into a narrative story-telling   
mode.   
  
"Before the Fall, the humans from long ago lived in a world of almost   
perfection. They relied heavily on a form of magic simply called 'technology'. Their   
newest creation was developed from a machine called the 'computer'. The computer   
was able to process a million streams of information at once, and one computer could   
connect to a billion others, resulting in a global network of communication.  
Yes, the most important part was the development of this network. For years, scientists  
sought to create the ultimate, pefected network, a project they named "Project 09"."   
Suddenly, Grandpa fell silent, voice dying into pattering of rain.   
  
Yuugi felt his body turn rigid, sensing the omniscient foreboding in the   
moment of silence.   
  
"It was done." Three simple words, spoken out with an unnatural bitterness.   
"It became a virtual world, a world where reality could be altered to one's every   
whim. It became a world of interconnections, where one could simultaneously be with   
any desired other."  
  
Grandpa's voice fell to a soft, painful whisper. "And its shadow sought to   
consume the real world."  
  
Yuugi could literally hear the chaos the single sentence invoked. In his mind's   
eyes, he could see the beautiful world created by the human network suddenly warp   
and distort until it became a jagged, harsh reality filled with darkness. And then, a   
question suddenly seized the small boy's vibrant mind. "But where did the Game   
come from?"  
  
"Where else?" Grandpa knew it was a rhetorical question. Yuugi knew the   
answer. "Dark Games, created by a warped reality, luring its contestants into false   
security and consuming them one by one. Shadow Games, which promised desires   
beyond imagination, in exchange for a human soul."  
  
"Then why do we play them?" Yuugi demanded. "If it could destroy us, why   
should we still play them?"  
  
"You are still young." Grandpa avoided the question altogether. "Too young   
to understand the reality of the Game." His solemn, pale lavender eyes continued to   
bear onto Yuugi's dark violet ones. "You cannot escape the Game, Yuugi. It   
surrounds you, even as we speak. But, you can win. Only by winning can you   
survive." Suddenly, the wiser of the two broke eye contact, casting his glance to one   
side, almost in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Yuugi. This is a truth that you'll just have   
to accept."  
  
But Yuugi was bitter now. He was bitter at his Grandpa for having told him   
this intolerable truth. Why should he be a slave to such a dark, corrupt, failure of   
humanity? He could have been killed playing the Game!   
"Grandpa," The small boy choked back an enraged sob, "Why didn't you tell   
me earlier?"  
  
Even with all his ages of wisdom and knowledge, Grandpa could find no   
answer. Both figures sat silently in their hidden alcove, surrounded by the pummel of   
wind and the frosty tendrils of fog, one sullen, the other unable to speak.   
  
The fragments of buildings plagued the entire landscape between the   
intermissions of fog, a skeletal litter of rusted metal and shattered concrete. Lurking   
silently underneath the once-colossal buildings were the statues, still sulking, blank,   
vacant eyes turned accusingly towards the permanently dim sky.   
  
At long last, Grandpa neared the small boy, clearing his throat softly. "We will   
find it, Yuugi." He whispered, voice determined. "And after we find it, everything   
will be okay. Our days in hiding will finally end."  
  
For a brief, impulsive moment, Yuugi wanted to abandon his obstinuity and   
ask the elder what exactly he had meant. Yet, the boy said nothing, eyes flickering for   
just a fragment of time before returning to their dull, listless gaze.   
  
Grandpa shuffled away, muffled footsteps moving at a slow and agitated pace.   
His back was now turned towards the smaller boy, fiddling with a hidden object that   
occasionally make soft clatters, like metal scraping against metal.   
  
Yuugi shifted his gaze curiously at his Grandpa, though he kept his expression   
as stubbornly uninterested as possible. He quickly bit his lip to keep his curiousity   
from showing, suppressing the question and feigning boredom while his eyes   
glistened with interest. Grandpa's lie was still fresh in his mind, seething and roiling   
in an ugly mass of anger. _Why_ couldn't Grandpa have told him the truth earlier?   
Yuugi had always thought that the Game was just a… game, albeit, played on a   
prettier setting. What he had never known until now was what the "prettiness"   
represented. Those shifting masses of greens and reds represented not imagination but   
chaos. The fascinating behemoths delved from creation were nothing but a series of   
mechanical creations. Nothing was real.   
  
The cry was subdued at first, similar to the shrieking of rain pattering   
endlessly against the rusted metal. The fog only dampened the sound, making the   
noise a harmless echo.  
  
But Grandpa noticed it immediately. The elder human was suddenly alert,   
aged lavender eyes peering around him with an expression bordering fear. He held his   
breath, lapsing into unearthly silence, listening with rapt attention to the rain around   
him.   
  
Even Yuugi felt the moment of sudden tension. There was an air of   
overwhelming foreboding, like a taut string pulled just moments before snapping   
point.   
  
Brows furrowed in intense concentration, the aged human seemed to be in a   
world of his own, eyes staring not at the rain but through it, as if his failing eyesight   
could pierce the very borders of sketched rain and fog. He exhaled his breath in a   
raspy whisper, unnaturally restrained.   
  
There was nothing but silence. That, and fear. Seconds began ticking off   
around the frozen figures. Slowly, the two humans eased their stiff postures, relaxing   
from their tension in momentary jerks.   
  
And just when they had reached a stage of reassurance, they heard it. It was   
the low, eerie cry of a haunted voice; a segregated noise that rose and fell in volumes.   
Even in the still, wet and stagnant night air, the noise penetrated all barriers, vibrating   
and increasing in intensity until it was all but an unearthly howl.   
  
And then, as fast as it came, it disappeared, back into the silent patter of   
raindrops once again.   
  
Yuugi whimpered, all but the imminent fear wiped clear from his brain.   
_Something_ was approaching, and it was only a matter of moments before it came,   
threatening to end it all. No, it didn't threaten. Yuugi was positive that whatever it   
was, this presence would serve only to mercilessly slaughter them.  
"Grandpa." The small boy managed to choke back a whimper. "W-what was   
that?"  
  
Yuugi's grandfather said nothing. The aged human was still staring balefully   
at the waterlogged streets, eyes still pulled together in a gaze of complete   
concentration.   
  
Yuugi tried again. "Grandpa." This time, the tone was more urgent, to the   
point. "_What's going on?_"  
  
A sudden snarl drowned out any possible response. The noise was startlingly   
close, echoes clear and vibrant, branching off to a series of similar shrieks. Harsh,   
deliberate footsteps plodded in the darkness like invisible drumbeats, shrouded by the   
fog and watery darkness.   
  
The small boy gave an involuntary gasp, nearing his Grandpa and seeking as   
much of the elder's comfort as possible. In response, Yuugi's grandfather put a   
reassuring hand on the smaller boy, though its clammy half-cold touch betrayed the   
owner's true emotions.   
  
Another snarl, this time replied by several others. Now, the truth could no   
longer be avoided. The sound of closely approaching steps, the grinding of incisored   
fangs, the harsh gasping of raw breath, dripping collective strands of saliva.   
  
The humans were surrounded.   
  
Yuugi could feel his heart fluttering erratically, chest filling with tight pain.   
He watched, helplessly, as several pairs of eyes lit up in the darkness, each one a   
luminous, brilliant scarlet. They surrounded the pair of humans like a ring of glowing   
coals. Occasionally, there were flashes of glistening-white, accompanied always by   
low, guttural growls.   
  
Grandpa kept his hand firmly on Yuugi's shoulder, backing away from the   
menacing figures. Glimpses of silhouettes in semi-canine shape only slightly revealed   
their identity, though the purpose of each snarling, drooling beast was startlingly   
clear.   
  
They were here to kill.   
  
One second was all that he needed. In the blink of an eye, Grandpa shoved the   
smaller boy, pushing him towards the mass of shadowy beasts behind him. For a   
moment, Yuugi's heart plummeted in fear as he found himself face to face with the   
creatures. The scream lay constricted in his chest, unable to escape, a bubble of   
livid fear ready to burst.   
  
And suddenly, Yuugi was not facing these ruby-eyed beasts but behind them.   
The small boy stared in shock. He had been shoved _through_ the seemingly   
impenetrable barrier of shadows! The boy gaped in awe, surprised eyes turning to   
lock into his grandfather's.   
  
"Run!" Grandpa shouted, hoarse voice rising to an urgent maximum.   
  
Several rabid snarls shot from Grandpa's positions, the shadows in front of the   
elder human suddenly distorting in blurry vagueness, though the sets of red eyes were   
still imminently clear. The glowing, coal-red eyes advanced towards the smaller boy,   
some of the shadowy beasts breaking into a half-howl.   
  
Yuugi needed no further encouragement. His legs immediately began to move,   
carrying the shocked boy away from the scene of horror. Blood pounded heavily   
within his ears, vision blurring into a vivid scene of chaotic reds and blacks. And still,   
Yuugi ran, sprinting as fast as his feet could move, stumbling and dodging over   
obstacles with uncanny speed.   
  
With a final ear-piercing howl, the shadow-beasts gave chase, coal red eyes   
never separating from their prey.   
  
The small boy continued running, not daring to look back, feet hitting the   
ground with harsh, wet smacks. Away from the sanctity of the shelter, Yuugi found   
himself victim to the harsh, stinging streaks of rainwater, the acidic liquid hissing   
slightly as it hit his exposed skin, leaving unnatural dark stains on the smooth, ivory   
surface. Unable to control his wailing mind, Yuugi found himself in a realm of   
frenzied fear. The only things the boy was aware of were the creatures behind him. He   
could hear their snarls and cries; their heavy paws pounding against the water and   
cement with harsh thuds.   
  
And still, the boy ran, chest panting heavily, gasping in mouthfuls of air. His   
lungs burned with a mixture of suffocation and exhaustion, legs trembling weakly in   
mid-steps. There rested in Yuugi's mind the livid vision of fear, the beasts crying   
triumphantly over his body while reducing it painfully into a bloodied carcass.   
  
He bit back a choked half-sob, forcing his lungs to continue pumping air,   
forcing his legs to shove against the cement while his mind wailed in despair. The   
beasts – they were gaining! It would only be a matter of seconds before they would   
catch him.   
  
It was this uncertainty that proved fatal to his already-strained mind. Unable to   
withstand the doubt darkening his hopes, the small boy's desperation ceased to a   
listless surrender. It was hopeless. He was as good as dead.   
  
His legs, already weary, stumbled heavily over a loose fragment of cement.   
The action seemed deliberate, the small boy tumbling to the ground with an almost   
dumbstruck gratification. His jaw hit the wet cement with a painful crack, body   
slumping against the cement like a sack of rocks. As his shoulder struck and the   
cement, Yuugi felt something detach from the folds of his cloak. It dropped and   
skidded against the water-stained ground, clattering noisily like a child's toy. The   
small boy gazed curiously at the object, a brief expression of puzzlement crossing his   
features. It was too dark to see exactly what had fallen out of his cloak, though a   
partial gleam of golden light seemed to flutter across the boy's vision like a sudden   
mirage, disappearing in the blink of an eye.   
  
There was no more time for speculation. They were here. The large masses of   
colossal, slobbering, frenzied beasts, bits of shadowy darkness in the very epitome of   
fear. There was no escape, there was no hope, there was no help.   
  
And Yuugi, poor, afraid, helpless Yuugi, could only accept his fate. It was   
better not to fear than to fear such visions of agony and contribute to their   
darkness-ridden pleasures. He convinced himself of that much.  
  
The first shadow-creature was now right by Yuugi's face, his snivelling, wet   
nose identifying the boy almost curiously. The gleaming of sharp, drooling fangs that   
accompanied each examining snuffle erased any ideas of friendliness. The lead   
shadow-creature then threw back his coarse, coal-black head, screaming a triumphant,   
ear-splitting cry. It hungrily turned its eyes on the small boy, large ruby eyes   
daring the boy to struggle.   
  
For a brief, irrational second, Yuugi wanted to struggle. He wanted to scream   
insanely, pleading, gasping, blubbering for mercy until the sharp fangs sunk into his   
flesh and ended it all. Yet, either way, the small boy was as good as dead. There was   
no need to struggle. If this fate was righteously his, then he would accept it.   
  
The other shadow-beasts were slowly nearing the boy, prowling endlessly   
around him. In the center stood their boss, clearly marked by his dominance over the   
currently subdued others. Their padded paws thumped in syncopated taps against the   
cement, complimenting the quieter patter of raindrops.   
  
Without warning, a flash of brilliant light suddenly burst the darkness, making   
even the impressive streaks of lightning seem a mimicry in its wake. It was as if the   
entire world had been spontaneously shifted to daylight, streamers of golden-yellow   
littering the landscape. And then, it faded, turning once again into the permanent   
darkness.   
  
Was that the light before the final end? Here, Yuugi was almost entirely   
convinced. Yet, where was the pain? What had happened to the pairs of sharp,   
segregated incisors once bared so impressively over his fragile frame?  
  
The shadow-creatures no longer had their attention fixed to the small boy, but   
rather, to the source of the light. Their forms seemed to have diminished slightly,   
making them appear slightly dishevelled and scruffy rather than tough and impressive.   
The boss shadow-creature snarled in indignation at something only meters away from   
Yuugi. The small boy could literally hear the beast's hackle rise, vividly imaging the   
creature's shadowy ears flattening angrily against his skull.   
  
The source of their anger was still glowing with a radiant light. It shone, half-  
white, half-golden, glittering with an almost ethereal splendour. And now, only now,   
under the glow of the light, did Yuugi recognize what it was.   
  
It was the thing he had dropped.   
  
The object still lay on the ground, surrounded by layers of pavement, close   
enough for Yuugi to crawl over and touch it. It was a beautiful golden box, slightly   
rectangular in shape. Etched on every side of the box were strange runes, twisting and   
conglomerating together to form a single eye in the center. It was that single,   
provocative eye which seemed to glitter with the most radiance, lulling the shadow-  
creatures under its baleful gaze.   
  
For a moment, as Yuugi stared straight at the eye, the golden etched eye   
seemed to wink at him. If inanimate pictures could come alive, the eye would be a   
vision of daunting and splendour, arduously mocking the shadow-creatures seething   
so lividly around it.   
  
With no more than a growl and snarl, the lead shadow-beast struck the box.   
  
But his shadowy presence never hit the golden surface. As soon as its paw neared   
the box, the brilliant golden eye once again burst into a magnificence of light. Yet, it   
was not the soothing morning light of before. This time, the light burnt with harsh   
intensity, rays splitting in all directions like a beacon of flames. The shadow-creatures   
shrieked shrilly as the light fell upon their figures, incinerating their dark-embedded   
silhouettes in an inferno of brightness.  
  
And then, all shrieks died into an echo, and the echo into silence. The light   
dissipated the moment the silence returned, leaving an unearthly-still grey landscape,   
filled with only rain and fog, decrepit buildings cluttering the background.   
  
Eyes wide in an expression of both astonishment and awe, Yuugi dared   
himself to breathe again. The shadow-creatures chasing him had all been ruthlessly   
disintegrated. Slowly, shivering with each step, the small boy neared the box, afraid   
of its power.   
  
The box had stopped glowing now; even its single eye in the center lay dull   
and uninteresting, as if its once-vibrant entity had fallen asleep. The boy stooped   
beside the box, squinting as he tried to examine its surface in the murky-grey   
darkness. He gingerly prodded the surface of the box with one finger, drawing it back   
immediately for fear of being stung with its brandishing light.   
  
Nothing happened. Slightly more confident, Yuugi slowly rested his hand on   
the box, muscles tensing for a brief moment in fear. The box was cool to the touch,   
like a smooth, ancient metal, the patterns of each rune shockingly sensitive to his   
palm. With a rather dazed expression, the boy lifted the box with his hand, bringing it   
to his face for closer examination.   
  
He was a bit disappointed when the box did not glow with light, but rather,   
continued its dull, listless façade. Its once-golden walls shifted to a boring copper,   
almost encouraging the boy to leave it behind. However, Yuugi knew better than that.   
It was not a big box – roughly the size of both his hands put together, and rather   
lightweight for something that boasted to be metal-made. The small boy shook it a   
few times, nearly dropping the box when it responded with hollow, metallic clunks.   
There was definitely something inside the box.   
  
The noise almost reminded Yuugi of something else. It was vague at first, like   
the remembrance of a dream half-forgotten, but it began to build and expand until its   
image was shockingly clear. The flashback relayed in perfect time, revealing the   
figure of an aged man toying with an item once hidden to Yuugi's eye.   
  
Grandpa! Immediately, Yuugi forgot about the box, hastily stuffing it into the   
many pockets of his cloak. His heart once again began pounding in fear. Where was   
his grandpa?   
  
Alone, utterly stranded, the boy felt completely helpless to the dark city   
around him. Even the fog threatened to swallow him whole: to deplete him into a   
skeleton of nothingness. He was alone, and he was scared. Yuugi quickly began   
walking, forgetting all else but the fixated image of his Grandpa. He had to find   
Grandpa! Or else… or else… Yuugi shuddered. The other was not an option.   
  
A shadow of doubt began creeping into the boy's mind. What if grandpa   
was…?  
  
Yuugi shook his head. No, he wouldn't think like that. Grandpa was alive. He   
_had_ to be alive. Eyes watering, the small boy bit his lip in stubborn determination.   
Grandpa was _alive_.   
  
The small boy found himself unconsciously retracing his steps, walking over   
the pieces of broken cement and dangling metal bars in a slow, morbid ritual,   
dreading every step. His heart was fluttering with anxiety, demanding his legs to stop.   
Yet, he wouldn't. There was still a glimmer of hope that remained, a glimmer that   
urged him on.   
  
The boy continued to walk for what seemed like and eternity in the silence,   
unaware of the fascinated eyes watching him; unaware even of the rain   
and fog swirling and pelting his petite frame.   
  
All that lay in his mind now was the continuous internal debate. It was a   
perplexing question, gnawing in every recess of his mind like an uncontrollable virus.   
He _needed_ to know – he _had_ to know. Another sliver of doubt. What if-  
  
Suddenly, Yuugi saw it.   
  
A figure, standing in the shadows, half-covered by the misty-grey fog. The   
rain danced on his lone frame, rebounding in rivulets and collecting on the figure's   
already-damp cloak. He was half-slumped against a concrete precipice; shoulders   
drooped in an expression of sheer exhaustion.   
  
Yuugi gave a cry of uncontrolled relief.   
  
"Grandpa!"   
  
The small boy immediately broke into a run, feet splashing noisily into the   
rainwater without care.   
"Grandpa!" Yuugi continued, relieved mind now yammering a million   
demands to satisfy its resolve. "Thank goodness you're here! I thought I had-"  
  
-Yuugi stopped in mid-sentence.   
  
Yes, the small boy had been right. It was his grandpa. But now, the formerly   
old, wizened human was mutilated beyond repair. The aged human's body was   
propped against the wall, held in that position by a gigantic sliver of metal piercing   
straight through his chest. Blood dribbled down his body in messy clumps of scarlet;   
even the areas covered by the cloak were soggy with the same crimson hue. There   
was a deeper clump of almost black-maroon from where the metal sliver had exited   
the former grandfather's chest, the tip of the sliver glistening with a light pink film.   
  
That would have been the most disturbing sight, had Yuugi decided to look   
away then and there. Unfortunately, the boy was too absorbed in his shock to think   
otherwise.   
  
There was only grandpa's body. Anything from shoulder-up had been brutally   
removed. Thick veins, still feebly pulsating with blood, littered their contents onto the   
chest. An ugly mixture of raw flesh and aged muscle adorned the shoulder like a   
demonic crown. A bit of white glistened beneath the pattern of ripped flesh and vein –   
that was the remainder of the spine, still protruding from where the neck would have   
been. Tattered, torn, ugly. That was all that was left of the head and neck. An ugly,   
vile, putrid collage of blues, purples and pinks. But mostly red. The red was   
everywhere; it was unavoidable.   
  
And still, Yuugi was unable to tear his eyes away from the revolting sight. His   
mind was beyond screaming – it was numb, shocked, unable to express an emotion it   
barely comprehended.   
  
Beyond pain. Beyond shock. That was the only way to describe what Yuugi   
felt. A dribble of blood fell like rain from one of the slivers of torn flesh where the   
neck would have been, causing the small boy to trace its path until it hit the ground   
with a heavy splash, mixing with the growing stream of red. The rainwater only   
enhanced the sight, diluting with the blood to creature a mixture of livid, crimson,   
spreading as far as the eye dared to see.   
  
The small boy's eyes began to numbly follow a larger trail of this blood   
flowing on the ground. The trail abruptly stopped some meters away from the carcass,   
collecting into a darkened pool of the substance. Above the pool lay something   
slightly oval, oddly misshaped and out-of place.   
  
It was a shape stained with this vile red liquid, though near the center of this   
shape were two dull-looking jewels. At least, Yuugi thought they were jewels.   
Closer examination revealed only the truth.   
  
They were twin orbs of glossy white. Situated in the center of each orb was a   
smaller orb of a bland lavender hue, clouded and slightly filmy-white. Between the   
two orbs lay a broken, flattened feature, rising slightly before falling into a horizontal   
split of pale-red. The crimson liquid coveted most of the shape's original colour,   
though the odd glisten of light revealed a palsy greyish cream-white shade, stuck on   
like loose-fitting rubber. Above the two orbs lay a plain of this substance, ending in   
shocking tendrils of electric grey.  
  
Yuugi continued looking at it. His knees buckled weakly and he bit his lip,   
not even noticing when he drew blood.   
  
This was _not_ Grandpa's head. Grandpa didn't exist anymore. There was no   
such person as Grandpa.   
  
Yuugi's mind forced the statement until it was all but clear. This was the truth.   
He knew it. He just knew it!  
  
This was not Grandpa's head. This could not be Grandpa's head. Grandpa was   
in a happy place, and this was not him.   
  
In fact, that body lying over there was not grandpa's either. It was all a trick to   
fool him. Grandpa was fine!   
  
It was all a trick.   
  
Yuugi knew it. He just did.   
  
The boy slowly made his way towards the decapitated head, dropping wearily   
to his knees, ignoring the blood collecting on his faded cloak. He spent some time just   
staring at the face, just acknowledging the dead, aged eyes.   
  
Yuugi shook his head. What was this thing he was standing beside? Why did   
he feel such an attachment to it? This was not Grandpa. Grandpa was somewhere else.  
  
Slowly, the boy reached a shivering hand towards the crude shape, tracing his   
fingers on the paltry-grey surface. He then brought his other arm to stroke the layers   
of greyed hair, trying to rub some of the stained crimson away with the back of his   
hand. Finally, he leaned forward, lifting the shape with both his arms until it rested in   
his chest.   
  
And, underneath the rain, underneath the darkness, underneath the curious,   
scrutinizing eyes, Yuugi sobbed. He cried, breaking into broken, jagged gasps, pitiful   
body shivering with unexplainable emotion. The orbs of glowing, crystalline tears   
dribbled down the small boy's cheeks, collecting and falling from his chin to hit the   
rubbery, flat surface of the shape in his arms.   
  
Still clutching his former Grandpa's lifeless head, Yuugi silently howled his   
agony. All around him, the rainwater fell, mixing with his own salty tears, also   
pummelling the surface of the lost face.   
  
Dead, lavender eyes seemed to glisten with light, but it was a false illusion –   
the light coming only from the scatter of rain and tears. They were blank, dead, eyes,   
eyes that could no longer see, eyes that took in nothing but forgotten memories.   
  
A single, jagged arc of lightning raced across the sky, accompanied by the low   
rumble of the clouds. In that brief, single moment of light, the city seemed to glow, a   
shiny ebony mass of darkness.   
  
It was in that single moment of light that the statues once again lit into   
prominence. Their alabaster faces glared accusingly at the sky, cracked faces never   
losing their vacant expression. But most of all were the eyes. Eyes which stared   
blankly into space, not looking but remembering all that was forgotten.   
  
And then, everything disappeared back into the darkness.   
  
***************************************  
  
End notes:  
  
Yesh, the hugging-the-dead-head part was inspired by the movie X. I knew I   
shouldn't have watched it more than nine times -_-;;  
  
Extra thanks to Myst-Lady for your encouragement! Oh, and NC-san, ^_^= I currently   
have a copy of your piccie on my desktop~   
  
Next time:  
  
-"Who am I?" The question that everyone asks themselves.   
-Jounochi and Anzu are in the for surprise of their life…  
-What is this secret box? Okay, never mind that -_-;; you probably all know   
what it is. More importantly – what it its purpose?   
- Let's play a little Game… 


	2. Entry 02

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. But when I rule the world, it will be mine!   
BWAHAHAHAHA-*cough cough*  
  
Okay, I realize that last chapter was a bit… excessive in the description, and I   
apologize for that. I have a slight (very minor, I assure you) obsession with blood, but   
I'll lower the violence from now on to keep my lovely PG-13 rating ;P.   
  
Eevee muse: Good thing I'm back to put things in order -.-;;; What did I tell you about   
the warning?  
  
Zoo: ^_^() Eh heh.. *nervous smile*  
  
Eevee muse: *WHAP* And that was for not checking over your grammar. *WHAP*   
And that was for your wordiness. *WHAP* And that was for-  
  
Zoo: -Hey! I have a PG-13 rating here! Keep the violence down!  
  
*WHAP!!!*  
  
x.X  
  
WARNING: Excessive dialogue. Lack of action. Lack of author having a brain.   
  
******************************************************  
  
"Ignorant I am, and ignorant I shall be…"  
  
  
Entry 0.2.  
  
"YAH-HOO!"  
  
He darted under the low pavement overhangs as fast as his feet would allow   
him, careful to duck his head. Streaks of wet dewdrops collected against his body,   
creating dark golden streaks against some of the exposed light-yellow fur. With   
another triumphant shout, he burst from the thicket of fallen metal and cement,   
propelling his body into the air with a shove of his hind legs.   
  
He landed on a metallic slab a few meters away with a rather ungraceful   
thump of his heavy frame. Dust and particles of cement scattered around his impatient   
figure.   
  
"What's taking you so long, Anzu?" He demanded, tongue lolling slightly   
from his mouth in heavy, excited pants.   
  
Some distance behind him was another figure, trailing rather sulkily behind, as   
if trying to appear somewhat dignified and pristine. Said figure glanced disdainfully at   
the first.   
"Jounochi, I am not a morning person." Came her aggravated and thoroughly   
condescending reply.  
  
Jounochi huffed, shaking his golden-yellow mane to loosen the dust collecting   
on his fur. "Well, you could always change." He grinned, unperturbed by Anzu's   
slightly cranky attitude. "After all, its never too late to teach an old dog new tricks."  
  
Anzu sighed. "I am _not_ a dog!" She cried in an outraged voice, long feline   
tail lashing out slightly in annoyance. Her twin, pointed ears flattened against her   
skull to emphasize her irritation. "Why on earth did I come with you again?" She   
complained, "I could have been sleeping."  
  
"You say that every time!" Jounochi's flat canine-like muzzle wrinkled in   
amusement. "Besides, this is really important."  
  
Anzu rolled her cat-like eyes, shaking her head just slightly and causing some   
of her almond-brown hair to rustle against her face. "Please. You say that everything   
is important."  
  
The two had continued walking now, all the time still merrily bickering with   
each other, voices rebounding against the flat, bland landscape. There was a slight   
early sun that bathed the slabs of concrete and metal in a yellowish tint, making them   
glitter and shine rather delicately. Large pools of darkened rain-water were   
transformed into crystal mirrors under the same sparkling influence.   
  
It was the type of morning that made one wake up and forget about their   
worries. Indeed, a peaceful and serene atmosphere seemed to have surrounded the   
city, to the point where even the grim-faced statues' expressions softened to one of   
acquiescence.   
  
It was the type of morning that promised ignorance to the unsuspecting   
residents of Hell City.   
  
The two had walked a fair distance now, reaching a slight, rocky outcropping.   
Tendrils of moss collected in the damper corners of the concrete, though most of the   
ground was absent of vegetation.   
  
There was a slight crowd circling a specific area, the masses of bodies large   
and small alike covering the object of scrutiny. Jounochi, with the ever reluctant Anzu   
trailing behind him, soon found himself at the edges of the crowd, barking out a few   
questions every so often.  
  
"So what is it?" The blonde-haired lycanthrope asked, directing his voice to   
the general, muttering public.   
  
The rat-humans simply glared at Jounochi, though a fellow wolf-human turned   
around to answer.   
"Some kid. He came to the city last night, and hasn't awoken since."  
  
"What happened?" Anzu piped up, momentarily forgetting the tension that cat   
and wolf-humans held for each other. She and Jounochi had been comrades – they   
refused to be termed "friends" – for quite a while, so she viewed both species as   
equals.  
  
The wolf-human in question hesitated a moment before asking, shrugging   
slightly.   
"I'm not too sure. Something about the kid's grandfather. I think they were   
attacked by _ it_ yesterday."  
  
There was a hushed moment of silence. Everyone knew what _it_ meant,   
though few dared to speak of it beyond a simple term. In the world of darkness and   
fear, "it" was simply viewed as a normal, natural disaster, preying upon the ignorant   
and undeserving. One could be alive one day, and mysteriously dead by nightfall.   
  
"Then why is he still alive?" Jounochi scratched his head, blithely ignoring the   
fear constricted by the previous word. "Don't most people who get attacked, well, you   
know."  
  
A nearby lizard-human hissed his laughter, long, forked tongue passing   
slightly over his sharp eyeteeth. "Why do you think we're here?" Came the derisive   
question.   
  
Indeed the kid was drawing a growing crowd of attention, though he remained   
blissfully unconscious. Finally, one of the smaller lizard-humans, unable to restrain its   
curiousity, crept towards the sleeping figure, prodding him lightly with a pebbly   
finger.   
  
The small boy groaned just slightly before once again drifting into   
unawareness.   
  
Prod, prod. The lizard-human was just as persistent, finding a small amount of   
amusement in trying to awaken the sleeping figure.   
  
This time, the boy slowly opened his eyes, lashes fluttering rapidly in an   
expression of confusion. Large, violet eyes gazed blankly at the world around him.   
Where was he?  
  
A ripple of hushed whispers and murmurs erupted from the watching crowd,   
entranced eyes watching the boy in the center like a miraculous spectacle.   
  
His small body trembled with apprehension at the strange figures around him.   
Slowly, he lowered his eyes to the ground, covered slightly by his golden bangs.   
  
"Oi, oi!" Shouted Jounochi, over the sea of excited, chattering voices. He   
glared at the others. "Give some respect to the poor kid. He's probably scared out of   
his wits because of you!"   
  
Having said that, the blonde-haired wolf-human sauntered over to the small   
boy, smiling at the small boy with a good-natured grin.   
  
Naturally, the boy backed away as far as possible, upon seeing the large,   
menacing golden-furred lycanthrope. A small whimper escaped from his throat.   
  
"Hey, kid." Jounochi addressed the small boy. "I'm friendly, you know."   
  
Somehow, the boy didn't look convinced. Slowly, he brought his eyes level   
with Jounochi's face, regarding the lycanthrope with an expression of awe and fear.   
"W-who are you?"  
  
"The name's Jounochi, but you can call me Jou." The golden-haired wolf-  
human responded. He tried to appear as non-threatening as possible, hunching his   
back slightly to diminish his rather tall frame. "What's your's?"  
  
The boy hesitated. He glanced once at Jounochi, and twice at the figures   
around him. What was his name? Slowly, he closed his eyes, searching into the dark   
recesses of his mind for the answer.   
  
It was as if he was searching into a bottomless pit. Instead of the reassurance   
and guidance of his memories, he encountered an impenetrable, bleak barrier. A   
steady pool of disappointment and panic began to creep into his thoughts as he finally   
realized the truth.   
  
"I-I-" He suddenly felt so small, so alone. "…I can't remember." Tears began   
collecting around his eyes, pooling at the rims like crystal pearls. They dribbled down   
his cheek, staining his soft white skin.   
"I can't remember!" The words came out in a half-desperate shout, as if   
command alone could force the memories to return.   
  
Jounochi regarded the boy with an incredulous stare. As gruff as the   
lycanthrope might seem at first glance, Jounochi was actually a rather soft-hearted   
individual. Now, the wolf-human laid his hand gently on the boy's shoulder, careful   
not to let his thick nails pierce the boy's soft shoulders.   
"It's alright." Jounochi soothed, smooth alto rumbling in reassurance. "You   
don't have to remember."  
  
The boy needed no further encouragement. He immediately broke down into   
small, silent sobs, burying his head into the lycanthrope's soft, golden fur. Just the   
strain of having lost everything he knew, having no memory of anything or anyone   
was able to break his fragile shell of comfort. He was alone, and there was no one.   
  
No one, save Jounochi. The lycanthrope's earthly-brown eyes softened to one   
of slight understanding. And even when all the spectators had left, Jounochi stayed,   
letting the boy sob his grief, letting the boy pour his shrouded sorrows to the   
emptiness around him.   
  
And finally, when the sun rose to the top of the sky with a vainglorious burst   
of light, the boy stopped, staring at the world around him with large, silent, violet   
eyes.   
  
Anzu slowly made her way towards them, gently introducing herself before   
the trio headed for the Shelter.   
  
***********************************  
  
The Shelter was not a single complex, but rather, a large sub-city of dwellings,   
each one piled up, beside, under, and against the next. It was a rather ludicrous hive of   
shelters, cleverly situated in a large, underground cave. There was a stiff lake of   
blackened water to one side of the Shelter, and an unnatural field of mossy green   
substance behind it. The walls of the cave emitted a slightly luminescent glow,   
bathing everything in a mixture of contorted green and bleary yellow light.   
  
The small boy stared at the sight in awe. For him, the Shelter was his first   
impression of society. He shyly tugged Jounochi's loose, stringy pants to gain the   
larger lycanthrope's attention.   
"Jounochi…where are we?"  
  
"Oh." Jounochi gave a sheepish grin, as Anzu simply sighed. "I forgot to tell   
you, didn't I?" Not bothering for a reply, he continued. "This place here is called the   
Shelter, and it's where most of us live."  
  
The boy cocked his head to one side questioningly. "But why underground?   
You could always build shelters outside."  
  
This time, it was Anzu who replied, interrupting whatever Jounochi was about   
to say with a subtle shake of her head. "It's safer underground. And this way, when it   
rains, the water wont drip and flood our dwellings."   
  
The boy simply nodded, accepting the rather feeble excuse. He continued to   
tread on, eyes wandering all around him before suddenly coming to a stop at a thin   
corridor beside him. The corridor was dark, dripping dankly, filled with a pungent,   
muffled air.   
  
~~ *~~  
There were growls again. His head shot up towards the sound, body paralysed in   
petrifaction.   
  
They were coming for him.  
  
He closed his eyes, finally letting his arms part the heavy shape once held so   
protectively in his grasps. The blank eyes staring back at him only emphasized his   
predicament. He was alone… and they were coming…  
~~*~~  
  
"Hey, kid!" Jounochi shouted, shaking the paralysed boy a few times to wake   
him from his reverie. "Let's get going."  
  
The boy shook his head, clearing his mind from the vivid image. He glanced   
once more at the darkened corridor, but this time, it revealed nothing but a murky   
emptiness once more. Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the boy followed the rapidly   
disappearing figures of Jounochi and Anzu once more.   
  
"There we are!" Jounochi finally came to a stop at one of the openings. It was   
on the third elevation, so that when one looked down, one good see a good expanse of   
the cavern ground from beneath them. A narrow stretch of flat rock lay connected   
each door to the next, sloped rather dangerously.   
  
The golden-haired lycanthrope pulled out a crude, rectangular piece of dull   
metal from one of his pant pockets, inserting the object in a matching slot engraved in   
the door. The door opened with a resounding click.  
  
Jounochi swung the door wide open as a blast of stagnant air rushed from the   
room. "Welcome to my beloved abode." The golden-haired lycanthrope stated, rather   
proudly.   
  
"Excuse me?" Anzu interrupted, putting her hands on her hips. "_Your_   
abode?"  
  
The wolf-human gave a nervous chuckle. "Eh.. well… our abode then. Yeah."   
He winced slightly as Anzu shot into the house, wincing once more as the feline-  
human began complaining about the decrepit state of their house in front of a "guest".   
  
Jounochi gestured to the boy, who was still standing by the doorframe, peering   
inside rather hesitantly. "Eh, why don't you come in."  
  
The boy nodded, slowly stepping inside. The dwelling was actually a single,   
large room, with smaller extensions branching from the sides. A pile of dried straw   
lay sprawled to one corner of the room, covered by a thin layer of patched-up faded   
sheets. There was a crude hole representing a window, and the entire ground was   
layered with a soft, green moss. Bits of unusual metals and twisted mechanisms lay   
sprawled in a random fashion over the ground, most of it collected on a raised,   
makeshift metallic table in the centre. More of the wiry substance lay arranged in   
thick bulbs around the ceiling, some hanging like a stringy set of drapes.   
  
Jounochi shuffled nervously as the boy stared around the room. "I guess I   
forgot to clean up," The blonde-haired lycanthrope finally professed, "Though I   
wasn't really expecting visitors of any sort."  
  
However, the strange metallic contraptions sprawled around him fascinated   
the boy. As his eyes located the various decorations, a pang of nostalgia hit him,   
making him reel in confusion, head swarming incoherently. From the unconscious   
recesses of his mind, a single word escaped from the boy's lips. Then, everything   
disappeared, back into the impenetrable wall of blankness.   
  
"What did you say?" Jounochi seemed confused.   
  
"Game." Anzu was the one to reply in a soft, subdued voice, her sharp ears   
able to pick off even the slightest sound. She turned her cat-like blue eyes towards the   
boy. "He said, 'Game'." She repeated the word in an almost fearful reverence.  
  
The boy frowned. That single word Anzu had mentioned seemed to open   
another pipeline of flowing memories. They flashed through his mind in abstract   
sequence, creating flashing, meaningless images. There, a strange, glowing, metallic   
box. Here, the glitter of ruby-red eyes. That too, all disappeared.   
  
His eyes flashed angrily in annoyance. "Why can't I remember?" The boy   
asked, voice desperate and pleading. "I don't even know my name!"  
  
Quietly, Jounochi comforted the boy, softening the child's anger with a   
restraining paw. "Don't worry." He reassured once more, "It will come on its own."  
  
The small boy shook slightly. His eyes radiated fear and apprehension, face   
pale with both physical and mental exhaustion. "I want a name." He demanded, voice   
rising and falling slightly to his muffled, controlled sobs. "I want to be _someone_."  
  
"Fire."   
  
The small boy looked at the lycanthrope in confusion. "Fire?" He repeated   
Jounochi's single word.   
  
Jounochi nodded, breaking into a fanged grin. "Fire! I think you should be   
called 'Fire' for now. It suits you, with your vibrant hair style." Truly enough, the   
blonde-haired wolf-human had never seen such peculiar hair, a combination of red,   
black, and yellow. Perhaps it was to make up for the kid's inherently fur-less face?  
  
The boy wrinkled his nose slightly in distaste.   
  
Anzu chuckled. "I'm not surprised. 'Fire' is such an awful name, kind-of like   
'Star' or 'Moon'." She clicked her tongue in disproval. "Such clichéd ideas, Jounochi.   
Maybe you should let him decide on his name." Here, she was clearing referring to   
the boy as "him".  
  
He hesitated. "I'm not sure." Once again, the small boy tried wracking his   
brain for memories, for anything that would link him to the past. He got nothing. "I-I   
really don't know."  
  
Suddenly, Jounochi brightened. "Game!" He exclaimed, as if the single word   
was his utter moment of glory. "His name should be 'Game'!"  
  
Anzu spluttered. She disliked the name from the start, and not only because of   
its blunt meaning, but also because of what it implied. "Jounochi-" She began, voice   
threatening.  
  
"Actually, I like that." The boy interrupted. The single word seemed to spark   
something from his cloud of fogged memories, a trigger to his uncertain past. "It's a   
good name."  
  
"Thought so." Jounochi looked triumphant, smirking over Anzu's scowling   
face. "After all, he had mentioned the word 'Game', so he must feel some relationship   
to it."  
  
"But," Anzu protested, "We can't call him that. It's not a _good_ name," She   
gestured silently with her hands to emphasize the meaning, though it was clear from   
the flashing doubt and slight fear in her eyes what she meant.   
  
"Oh." Jounochi's ears flattened against his skull. He thought for a moment,   
scratching his chin. "Then what else, besides 'Game'?" The blonde-haired   
lycanthrope ignored Anzu's slight flinch at the mention of the word. "The question   
then becomes, what other word means game?"  
  
"Yuugi." It was not Anzu who interrupted but the boy himself. He stared at   
both Anzu and Jonouchi with resolute eyes. "I-I think Yuugi is another word for   
game."  
  
Anzu and Jounochi exchanged glances. Indeed, 'Yuugi' was a direct   
translation of the word 'game', but in a language so archaic and old, only the eldest   
scribes and remaining machinery (of which Jounochi hoarded endlessly) recalled such   
context. It surprised the pair that someone so young as the boy would know such a   
forgotten language.   
  
Jounochi was the first to break the silence. "Well… so Yuugi it is!"  
  
"Yes." He nodded, softening into a shy smile. "My name is Yuugi!"  
  
*******************************  
  
He gazed apprehensively at the sight in front of him. It was a shallow, rather   
wide pit, dug rather crudely to the ground. Bubbling and frothing inside the ditch was   
a rather unhealthy-looking layer of water.   
  
"Come on, Yuugi." Jounochi urged, smiling encouragingly at the reluctant   
boy. "It's not that bad!"  
  
Yuugi shook his head, red-black hair rustling slightly. "I am not taking a bath   
in _that_." The voice came out very firm and determined, surprising even himself.   
  
Anzu had discreetly gone to the other room, to avoid any further   
complications between different gender privacies.   
  
"Here." Jounochi handed Yuugi a makeshift towel, a piece of cloth perforated   
by one too many holes. "Just take off your cloak and wrap yourself around with this.   
It'll make you feel better."  
  
Yuugi finally consented, blushing slightly. He then quietly obliged the blonde-  
haired lycanthrope's orders, unfastening the clasp around his cloak so that it fell to the   
ground with a single shrug. The small boy then accepted the towel, wrapping it   
around his waist, though he made no intention to move his faded shirt or pants   
underneath.   
  
Jounochi gave an involuntary hiss. All this time, the wolf-human had thought   
that Yuugi had not arrived at maturing age, so that his fur was still soft and sleek,   
covering only his body and upper arms like most hybrid cubs, and shrouded out of   
sight by the thick, long cloak. There was a slight problem to that theory.   
  
Yuugi had _no_ fur. Not even a speck on his bare, ivory-smooth arms, and   
definitely none protruding from where his back met the fabric covering of his shirt.   
And most of all, the boy lacked a tail. There was no bump, or slight protrusion   
extending from his spine, but rather, absolutely nothing. Yuugi's back was perfectly   
smooth, body beautifully erect, knees unbent.   
  
Jounochi's eyes widened like saucers. He spluttered a few times, trying to get   
the feeling of his tongue back into his mouth, but no words came out but a garbled   
sense of gibberish. The boy – he was-!  
  
From the corner of his eyes, Yuugi felt Jounochi's gaze. It wasn't a pleasant   
stare, slightly leery and too analytical. The small boy, knees half-in the bathtub,   
turned his face towards the hybrid lycanthrope's.   
"W-what's wrong?"   
A shadow of doubt crossed the boy's expression. Had he done something   
wrong? Did Jounochi not like him? Maybe, maybe he was intruding…   
  
But Jounochi, calm, complacent Jounochi, only shook his partially furred   
head. "No, its nothing, Yuugi." He muttered, trying to retain his calm and reassuring   
tone. "Nothing at all."  
  
Yuugi gave the other one more suspicious glance before crawling into the   
water. The liquid was warm to the touch, and oddly pleasant, creating a soothing air   
of relaxation. The boy immediately felt his mind drift, wandering in a blissful plane of   
comfort, suddenly dead to the world around him.   
  
And Jounochi, sensing that he was no longer needed, slipped out of the door,   
walking jerkily towards Anzu.   
  
********************************  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
Anzu looked at Jounochi with dubious, disturbed eyes. "If this is some prank,   
Jounochi, it's not very funny."  
  
But the blonde-haired lycanthrope's face was dead serious. "I'm positive. I   
swear that it's true. No _hybrid_ could have such…"  
  
Anzu shook her head. "That's impossible!" She repeated, muttering the word   
over and over. "Most of their kind died of centuries ago! They should have ceased   
existing."  
  
"Should have, could have, would have." Jounochi muttered sourly. "What   
matters now is that he _is_ one of them, and most likely the last."  
  
"The last." Anzu repeated, biting her lip. "It just…its so…" Her voice trailed   
off slightly.   
  
"How would if you feel if you were him?" Jounochi demanded. "Unable to   
remember who you are, unaware of your predicament, heck, even unaware of your   
power, your potential."  
  
Anzu's shrouded eyes opened at an alarming rate. "You can't tell him!" She   
hissed, voice urgent. "He mustn't know! It's too dangerous for him!"  
  
"I care about him too!" Jounochi protested. "I just think that you're being too   
overprotective. If he really is destined for this, then we should try and help him, not   
hinder him. After all, this is the only chance we have, if he is truly the last…"  
  
"I don't care!" Anzu shouted. "You are not risking any _live_ individual, even   
if he is _that_ type of individual, against… against… _it_!"  
  
It. The single phrase that every living hybrid feared. Yes, it was because of   
this force that humans died off so easily.   
  
For Grandpa, "it" had been the glowing-red eyes, the shadow creatures   
haunting him until death.   
  
For Jounochi and Anzu, "it" was the consistent daily fear that everyone lived   
through, the nameless phenomena who derived pleasure through its dark Games of   
death. Yes, in the Games, "it" would attack, and kill the unaware.   
  
And for Yuugi…. Yuugi had no clue. He did not remember, and he was yet   
unaware of it.   
  
… Which only complicated matters further for the two hybrids. True,   
Jounochi and Anzu could inform Yuugi of "it", tell the boy to fight against the evil   
like so many of his same-species predecessors had done, and see if he survived   
afterwards. But it was a brutal gamble, and an even more dubious Game. The odds of   
Yuugi winning against an ageless master of the Game were less than one percent.   
  
And it didn't help that Yuugi was the only one. Or the last.   
  
"Shit." Jounochi murmured, slamming his fist against the metallic tabletop.   
"Holy crap. We spend every bit of our existence wishing for someone – something –   
that will end _it_ and we finally get a chance." The blonde-haired lycanthrope gazed   
at Anzu with a sour expression. "Only, we're talking about someone who has no   
memory, no experience, and possibly, no courage! It's sheer murder!"  
  
Anzu shook her head sadly. "Yuugi is not an option. True, he may be the last-"   
And here, her voice lowered to a bare whisper –"_human_, but we cannot take   
advantage of him this way."  
  
"Feh." The blonde lycanthrope glared at the other in disdain. "Humans. Look   
what they did to us." He held up his hand, covered in thick, golden fur. His handsome   
face seemed demonic, twisted into a short snout, canines protruding from the tips of   
his mouth. "What the hell happened? Why are we so freakishly different?"  
  
"I wish I knew." Anzu stared at Jounochi with her sad, feline eyes. "We must   
have evolved for some reason in the past." She sighed, azure eyes clouding over in   
regret, "We haven't lost intelligence, and actually have gained the strengths of our   
counterpart animals. But what I don't understand is why can we not see the Game?   
Why can we not play the Game?"  
  
"Hybrids." A single word. "We're hybrids, a mix, a defect. We don't have the   
purity in our genes to sustain an entire human-made reality like the Game. It would   
kill us before we even started." Jounochi's tone seemed to have delved into a deeper   
bitterness.   
  
Another pause.   
  
"Well." Anzu finally spoke up. She stopped, realizing what she was about to   
say with an expression of despair.   
  
"Life will continue as it is." Jounochi sighed. "Let the Games handle   
themselves. As long as we avoid them, we should be safe."  
  
Both hybrids continued speaking, unaware of the pair of amethyst eyes hiding   
in the shadows, listening to the conversation with a rapt awareness. There were   
glittering tears that stained his fair face, tears which dribbled and fell silently on the   
mossy ground. But otherwise, he could have been invisible.   
  
********************************  
  
"Yuugi?"  
  
The small boy looked up, his silent reverie pierced by the softened voice. He   
stared at Jounochi mutely for a few moments, just watching the other's actions as the   
lycanthrope paced uneasily across the room.   
  
Suddenly, the boy spoke out. "I want to leave." It was a deliberate resolution,   
and he forced his eyes to gaze firmly and levelly at Jounochi's.   
  
The blonde-haired hybrid was taken by surprise. "Leave?" Puzzlement then   
fear flashed across his features. "But why?" He finally spluttered.   
  
"You don't want me." Yuugi stated the blunt obvious. "I'm a danger to your   
safety. You said so yourself."  
  
"When did…" Jounochi trailed off as realization dawned upon his expression.   
"You…!" He began to accuse, but then held it back, lest he would further offend the   
small boy.   
  
"I don't belong here." Yuugi continued. "I know that. Even if I can't   
remember anything, I _know_ that there is a place for me, a task, something I need to   
achieve." His resolute eyes turned toward the other's. "And if you are going to keep   
me in your protective shell, hindering my task, then I will have to leave. I cannot keep   
living my life in this make-belief sancturary."  
  
The boy spoke with wisdom beyond his ages. That much Jounochi was   
immediately able to conclude.  
"Yuugi." He began, mind scrambling for the right words. "It isn't that easy.   
There's a great danger that lies out there, unstoppable and impossible to defeat. Once   
you leave the Shelter, _it_ will see you and hunt you down."  
  
"I don't care!" Yuugi shouted angrily. Once again frustrated tears began to   
brim around his eyes. "If you won't tell me what this threat is, then I'll just deal with   
it myself!" His childish voice cracked slightly with emotion.   
  
The blonde-haired lycanthrope now saw the message clearly in the boy's   
shimmering, violet eyes. They were the eyes of a haunted soul, but more, the eyes of   
the destined; the determined; the resolute. And, just staring into those eyes, Jounochi   
came to the single, dreaded conclusion.   
  
Yuugi was the one.   
  
And he was their only chance.   
  
The blonde-haired hybrid sighed, a tone of one who has finally come to accept   
their burden of fate. "I'll help you." His voice sounded hollow and detached, as if   
someone else was talking. "I'll help you achieve your destiny."  
  
*****************************  
  
Jounochi, Anzu, and Yuugi were currently situated on the table, staring at a   
map made of some indistinguishable material, though Jounochi persistently claimed   
that it was something called "Plastik (TM)", probably after an ancient deity of sorts.   
  
"So, here's the plan." Jounochi stated, outlining certain segments on the map   
with his blunt foreclaw. "The only one who knows any information about humans is   
Seto Kaiba, a cyber-droid able to access the Game."  
  
Yuugi was confused. "If Seto can play this Game you keep on talking about,   
why doesn't he defeat _it_?"  
  
"He doesn't quite work like that." Anzu finally stated, ignoring Jounochi's   
suddenly sour face. "Cyber-droids are cloned humans made partially of machinery,   
and they are programmed to only have indirect access to the Game. That means that   
even though they see and manipulate the Game, they are programmed against actually   
playing."  
  
Then, it suddenly dawned on Yuugi. "You said that only _humans_ can play   
the Game, so _it_ must be human!"  
  
Jounochi and Anzu cast their eyes to the ground, fiddling uncomfortably.   
  
"I believe _was_ is the better term." Anzu said. "We-we don't really know   
much about it, save the fact that it has been here since forever, living like a natural   
virus. _Its_ initial purpose was to destroy humans, though again the reason is hidden   
to us. All that we know now is that it comes and goes in waves, able to appear in any   
form, able to deceive any one. For it is not a single individual but a network of lost   
souls, bonding together to form a pattern of ultimate destruction."  
  
"Hate. Greed. Jealousy." Jounochi continued. "Fear. _It_ lives off these   
elements. It has no enemies, because in a single flash, it can destroy anything he   
wants."  
  
"Yes." Anzu confirmed. "Anything could become its victim." She turned   
towards Yuugi, eyes just as cold and serious. "Do you know why you're so important   
to us, Yuugi? You are our last chance. For its only weakness is the ones it seeks to   
annihilate completely."  
  
Yuugi was slightly confused. "But I am a human. I am weaker than you, and I   
don't have any magical abilities. Why would I be special?"  
  
Anzu and Jounochi exchanged momentary glances.   
  
Finally, Jounochi spoke up. "Yuugi, let me tell you about the Game…"  
  
**************************************  
  
Tomorrow.   
  
Yuugi looked up at the darkened rock ceiling, resting his hands under his   
head. His mind was swarming with everything Jounochi and Anzu had explained, and   
even some they hadn't. He could read their expressions, see the hidden messages in   
their eyes, though it was a gift best kept secret.   
  
And then, there was the Game.   
  
Even now, Yuugi was confused about the concept. What exactly was the   
Game? According to Anzu and Jounochi, it was like a virtual reality, a different world   
altogether, controlled only by mental will. Well, mental _human_ will, since the   
Game was originally created by humans. But then, Jounochi and Anzu's had radiated   
sheer reluctance and fear at the mention of the word.   
  
Was this fear created by the nameless entity lurking inside the Game, able to   
twist the Game's reality into true reality to destroy all in its reach? Or was there   
something else about this Game? Something… beyond fear.   
  
Whatever it was, Yuugi found himself embracing it with a grim determination.   
His destiny was set. Even if nothing else remained in his empty, hollow mind, a   
continuous, instinctive urge drove him on. It was as if the Game was calling him,   
waiting for his presence. And though Yuugi was nowhere near ready, he was   
prepared.   
  
He would come.   
  
****************************************  
  
Clunk. Clatter.   
  
Yuugi fumbled with another segment, tracing its outline with an absent finger   
before placing it thoughtfully in the imagined space.   
  
Click. With a resounding snap, the oddly shaped piece connected together,   
forming an indistinguishable, growing mass of dull, metallic gold.   
  
It was Jounochi who had found the box in the first place, left behind in folds   
of Yuugi's cloak. The box had sparkled with familiarity the moment it was presented.   
  
Click. Another piece fell into place. It was aggravating to not know what   
exactly drove the familiarity or why the box meant so much to him. Yet, it was   
enough to drive his curiousity and determination.   
  
Yuugi glanced momentarily at the box, admiring its intricate golden design   
one more time. The single eye patterned in the center seemed to smile at him, just   
slightly. The lid was of said box was currently open, revealing several jumbled, oddly   
arranged contents inside.   
  
A puzzle. It was a box with a puzzle.   
  
Which, ironically, had presented the most concrete information Yuugi had   
about it.   
  
Snap. Click..   
  
Yet another piece fell in place. Yuugi sighed – every piece that spontaneously   
connected seemed to bring alive a flicker of memory. Something from this puzzle was   
pulling at his heart, beckoning him to complete its pieces.   
  
The eerie glowing walls of the gigantic cavern outside illuminated one face of   
the half-complete puzzle. Each piece was melded together in undistinguishable   
perfection, glittering with uniformity. Vague streaks of morning sunlight shot from   
the slight holes in the cavern, a confirmation of the beauty outside.  
  
And yet, he was here, hiding from the opponent. One day, he would be ready,   
and would gamble his life against its oppressive power. But now, now he would wait.   
He would gather information and build upon his strengths. That was the true meaning   
of power.   
  
Now, there was only one last piece left. It lay, almost sulking inside the box, a   
single piece that broke the uniform design. On its face lay a single, golden eye, like   
the one decorating the box.   
  
Yuugi took the piece in his hands, turning it over and inspecting it curiously.   
Something was different about this single piece, though it was an intuitive feeling,   
barely explainable.   
  
The small boy then looked at the puzzle. It was only missing one piece, shaped   
in a perfect pyramid. There was a slight loop at the base, just large enough to slip a   
rope through the center of the hole and wear it like a bulky pendant of sorts.   
  
It was almost disappointing, to be finished such an intricate and complex ritual   
so quickly. Yuugi placed the last piece of the puzzle into the center, pressing it down   
with his finger so that it gave a firm click.   
  
There. He was finished. With a triumphant sigh of relief, Yuugi held out the   
puzzle, gazing appreciatively at its elegantly angled shape. His finger once again   
traced over the single eye in the center, noting how smoothly the protruding metal   
melded with the flattened sides.   
  
"You need a name." Yuugi mused, thinking aloud. He then giggled slightly as   
he realized to whom – or rather, what, - he was addressing to. The boy brought the   
puzzle towards his face, staring at it at eye level. "I'm tempted to call you 'Jou', cause   
your colour is just as golden as Jounochi's hair."   
  
Yuugi could have sworn the puzzle's eye flashed in indignation.   
  
At that moment, the door swung open, revealing a rather exhausted-looking   
Jounochi. He stumbled into the room, shaking his head slightly so that his fur and hair   
stuck out like a fluff ball. Anzu followed him silently inside, disgusted face   
expressing her current attitude towards the other.   
  
"Good news, Yuug." Jounochi drawled, slurring Yuugi's name. He the smiled,   
lolling his tongue out, like the canine he represented. "We found someone who will   
bring you to Seto."  
  
In the way Jounochi mentioned Seto's name, it was as if the golden-haired   
lycanthrope detested said person. Yuugi said nothing, though.   
  
"Well, get on your cloak." Jounochi continued. "We'll escort you there, but   
after that, you're on your own, buddy."  
  
Anzu elbowed Jounochi in the ribs. "What he means is that we can't come   
with you. Apparently, this Seto individual prefers to keep his hiding location in secret,   
even from us."  
  
Yuugi gazed apprehensively at the two. "But, will I come back?" His voice   
betrayed his reluctance.   
  
Jounochi put a comforting hand on Yuugi's shoulder. The blonde   
lycanthrope's hand was warm, slightly sweaty to the touch. "As long as I'm alive, kid,   
I'll make sure you do." He then winked good-naturedly, not wanting to scare the boy.   
  
Yuugi nodded, fetching his cloak from the makeshift coat-rack while still   
holding the puzzle in one hand.   
  
"Hey, you finished it!" Jounochi exclaimed. The blonde-haired hybrid's sharp   
eyes immediately noticed the loop protruding from the top of the pyramid-shaped   
puzzle. "Here, let me get a cord for you. Then, you can tie it on and wear it."  
  
Anzu frowned, disapprovingly. "Isn't it a little bulky?" She commented, eying   
the puzzle suspiciously. There was an unconscious bubble of enigma surrounding the   
puzzle, one that slightly disconcerted the feline-human.   
  
"Nah." Jounochi disappeared into the other room, returning a few moments   
later with a thick, fibrous cord. "There ya go!" His hands deftly wound the cord   
around the loop of the puzzle, pulling a final knot in place to join the ends together.   
  
Smiling, Yuugi murmured a shy thanks. He put the offered object on, feeling   
the cord slip over his head, its cold touch biting his neck just slightly. The puzzle was   
slightly heavy, hanging just at chest-level. It seemed to glitter for a slight moment,   
though no one noticed; they were all too absorbed in leaving.   
  
"All right!" Jounochi rubbed his hands together. "Let's go!"  
  
Even under the thick folds of his cloak, Yuugi could feel the strange metal of   
the puzzle, jangling against his chest and pulling at his heart.   
  
***************************************  
  
End notes:  
  
I have been hacked! Just a warning to any Neopets players – it is best to change the   
password of your account once so often. Otherwise, you might find your most prized   
possession suddenly… gone…  
  
Anyway, enough about that~. I'm sorry I never got to the "Game" scene, so I have   
replies to your questions as a means of apoligizing ^_^=.  
  
Petite-hikarie: Wow~ you reviewed fast! Well, I can't guarantee that this fic is better   
than its predecessor (Club 0013), but I do have some interesting plot twists later. I   
spend about 2 hours per week writing, and I can assure you that my writing is far from   
effortless XD.   
  
Emerald Phoenix524: Nice to see ya back ^_^. Uhm… sorry? *cowers* Yesh, it was a   
bit… scary, but that was mainly to see who could stomach my fic.   
  
lily22: Okay, okay! *throws hands up in air* Even you, out of all people, think its   
sick! *sobs* You mentioned the word "overall". Are there any noticeable flaws that   
you'd like me to correct?  
  
Sarah: "Nice and long" *thud* ^_^() I'll take that as a compliment!  
  
Queen of Games: -_-;;; *is speechless*  
  
Zheyta: I swear, everyone thinks this fic is related to "Club 0013". Besides having the   
same (general) dark attitude and genre, this fic is completely different. Sorry. ^^()  
  
firedraygon97: Life? What is life? XD Well, I DO try. *sparkle sparkle smile smile*  
  
Myst Lady: Ahh.. the horror of reading continuous SM Usagi crossovers X.x.   
*nearly dies* DON'T BE SERIOUS! YOU CAN'T QUIT!! AHHHH!!!! *starts   
running around the room throwing random objects*   
*huff* Don't _do_ that to me!  
  
Sailor Comet: o.O;;; Bug nightmares? Kinda reminds me of my Atarashii-san-  
stealing-Yuugi-before-I-do nightmares. *glares* YUUGI IS MINE!   
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA- *cough cough*  
  
Mijikai: I'm sorry that this fic was not as… interesting as the previous ^^(). And of   
course I'm continuing this fic – I am here, aren't I?   
  
FC-chan: Hey! When are you gonna post up the next chappy of "Scarlet Fangs"? I'm   
not going to type out my chapter until you do ;P *cute little Pikachu smile*   
(o^-^o)  
  
Alecto: ^.^= thank you~~ I didn't get to see your review becuase of the annoying HTML tags.But I hope to see your chappy up for "Gifted" soon!  
  
Any additional questions, comments, or fanfic requests can be sent to   
chibizoo@yahoo.com, though I warn you – if I get hacked through yahoo mail, I am   
_never_ posting my fics again.   
  
Next time:   
-Game time! Today's special: Guessing games!  
-Seto, a teacher?  
-When all else fails, go towards the light! 


	3. Entry 03

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, I wouldn't make freaky Yami-Yuugi   
Halloween costumes with PURPLE pants and shirts – ALL connecting!  
  
I truly couldn't have done this chapter without getting a sudden moment of inspiration   
after reading Alecto Perdita's new chapter of "Gifted". Imagine how many chapters I   
could get done if she posted faster…  
  
Warning: Lack of violence (Due to PG-13 rating). Think outside the box.  
  
***************************************  
  
Entry 0.3  
  
  
True, the city lived up to its name. There were bits of shattered cement splayed   
as far as the eye could see, splinters of ruined buildings and raw metal littered or   
propped in skeletal arrangements. They drooped and slanted at odd angles, some   
glossy though most unnaturally dull and silent.   
  
'This is the dead land', the buildings seemed to say in their sullen shadows.   
'This is the land of the lost, the graveyard of lost souls.'  
  
Yuugi shuddered, pulling his eyes away from his surroundings. Even with the   
warm sun shining forcefully against his face, he felt so cold and alone. The glorious   
beauty and affection of the sun did nothing to hide the darkness underneath.   
  
The small boy instinctively pulled closer to Jounochi, seeking the comfort of   
the taller figure as if he could draw upon the other's confidence. To Yuugi, the   
desolate city was no more than a carefully planned mask: there were invisible eyes   
watching him as he walked, judging his every step, and he knew there was nothing he   
could do. He was exposed, and now, he could no longer hide.   
  
Even Anzu could feel the sudden tension, her body tensing, sharp ears   
pricking up nervously. The only one who didn't seem bothered was Jounochi, though   
almost nothing bothered the blonde hybrid.   
  
"J-Jounochi." Yuugi whispered in a soft, subdued voice. "How much further is   
it?"  
  
The lycanthrope scratched his head thoughtfully. "Eh." He finally confessed.   
"Maybe a couple more minutes?"  
  
Yuugi nodded, lapsing back into silence. He continued to trail the two others,   
though his mind was distracted, thinking about the Game, and about _it_. The small   
boy wondered what _its_ real name was, or perhaps it never had one. Was _it_ really   
as evil and horrible as everyone thought? Maybe it too had a purpose, just like how   
life, death, peace, and war balanced themselves out. Maybe it was meant to be there,   
and the entire plight about destroying it just a vain and aimless quest…  
  
"Did you say something?" Anzu's ears pricked at the sound, her cat-like eyes   
gazing straight into Yuugi's partially closed amethyst ones.   
  
Yuugi started, shaking his head. "N-no…" He faltered, upon sensing the   
other's curious and confused glance. "Did you hear me say anything?"  
  
Yet, the feline-human only shook her head. "Never mind. I must be hearing   
things."  
  
Jounochi grinned impishly, giving Anzu a playful shove. "Looks like you're   
getting old, Anzu dear." He exclaimed, ducking a punch from the other.   
  
Yuugi watched the pair, romping around playfully, though visibly older than   
the boy himself was. He smiled, enjoying the sight, the aura of happiness surrounding   
the pair even in the moment of tension. Perhaps, there never was a reason to fight the   
darkness or evil, but there was a meaning to it.   
  
The struggle would not be in vain. If he really had the power to do it, Yuugi   
would prevent these smiles from disappearing. Smiles that opposed the darkness and   
defied the glares of the eyes.   
  
*************************************  
  
"This is it."   
  
Jounochi pointed to a distance a few meters from where he stood. There was   
nothing special about that particular point, save a thin pillar jutting from the center,   
though it was easily shrouded by layers of concrete and debris.  
  
The lycanthrope ducked his head to avoid the overhang just by his head,   
extending his hand to the small boy. "Come on, Yuugi. I'll help ya in."  
  
Yuugi looked at the pillar dubiously. He didn't quite understand how he was   
supposed to get in, not to mention someone of Jounochi's size. And from the looks of   
it, the pillar seemed all-too solid.   
"I-I don't know." He whispered, backing away involuntarily.   
  
"Don't worry." Anzu gave the boy a reassuring smile of encouragement. "It's   
fine, Yuugi. Just take Jounochi's hand."  
  
They were currently in a confined space consisting of various slabs protruding   
from the dirt, tapering into a makeshift ceiling. Clumps of moss hung upside down on   
some of the platforms, and occasionally, Yuugi could hear the intermittent drip-drip   
of invisible raindrops pattering onto the cement floor.   
  
Still hesitative, Yuugi placed his smaller hand into Jounochi's palm, feeling   
the other's warm, calloused fingers wrap around his own. He was immediately pulled   
into the lycanthrope's grasp, so that he stood, half-lying against Jounochi's chest. It   
was slightly dizzying as the wolf-human began to move, the world around Yuugi   
jangling in disconcerted ups and downs.   
  
A whoosh of chill, stagnant air hit Yuugi straight on, and suddenly, the smaller   
boy was not looking at the enclosed pillar, but rather, at a strange and dank   
underground tunnel.   
  
"Scared, kiddo?" Jounochi's warm voice murmured right by Yuugi's ear in a   
low, soft rumble.   
  
Yuugi quickly shook his head, stumbling slightly as the wolf-human set him   
down with a soft thud. The cement below him was moist, covered in a strange   
glowing layer of algae, slippery to the touch. He looked around, jagged head bobbing   
in continuous circles.   
"Where are we?"  
The small boy's voice echoed down the long corridor. Unlike the Shelter, this   
place was clearly abandoned and unused, somehow unnaturally kept and preserved   
even through all the time and damage.   
  
Jounochi said nothing, simply gesturing for the boy to follow. There was the   
swishing and rumbling of water, informing Yuugi that the dark trail beside him was   
not a solid path but a stream of impenetrable liquid. The small boy felt himself   
involuntarily gulp, stumbling a bit in the shrouded darkness to catch up to the other's   
slightly gleaming golden frame.   
  
"Here, hold on to my hand." As if sensing the boy's doubt, Jounochi extended   
his rough hand once more for Yuugi to hold, and grasped the small hand with an   
affirmative squeeze of reassurance. "I'll lead you there."  
  
Yuugi could just slightly hear Anzu trailing behind, her feet almost silent even   
inside the sensitive underground tunnel. Her eyes had lit up in the darkness, making   
her appearance almost spectral, and all-too eerie. The boy shuddered – those eyes…  
  
~~  
  
The eyes were watching him. They were all around him, lashing, vibrating, pulsating   
their intense red. And most of all, they laughed at him, enjoying his uncontrollable   
fear.   
  
They were many.   
  
He was only one.   
  
And he was alone….  
  
~~  
  
Jounochi suddenly came to a stop, halting in front of what seemed like an   
ordinary, bland-looking wall. The blonde-haired lycanthrope began scrutinizing the   
barrier, running an experimental hand down the damp grooves and bumps as if   
looking for a secret signal. His fingers came to a stop at a point near the lower left   
corner.   
  
Through his feeble eyesight, Yuugi was only able to make out the occasional   
blur of greys and whites, though he could hear a grating sound from where Jounochi   
had stopped to examine the wall. The grating grew into a full fledged rumble, a   
sudden noise that jarred against the silence and sent tremours of echoes fleeting down   
the long, abandoned underground corridor.   
  
There was a scraping sound and then, Jounochi's golden frame seemed to have   
disappeared altogether into the darkness. Yuugi gave a slight start in shock, though he   
was reassured by Anzu's restraining hand.   
  
"Wait. He'll come back." She spoke, even her calm and even voice vibrating   
against the still air.   
  
The dark-grey tunnel seemed to grow more menacing, arched back hunching   
over to close Yuugi and Anzu in. Yuugi felt himself give an involuntary shudder; the   
darkness was threatening to swallow them up.   
  
Jounochi seemed to be taking forever. Yuugi felt his heart coil tighter as every   
second past, building into a strained knot of tension. And then, there was always that   
consistent doubt and fear. Where did Jounochi go? What if Jounochi had forgotten   
about them? Or worse, what if-?  
  
Another nagging voice played in the boy's mind, echoing louder than even his   
own thoughts.   
  
'What if you gave up at this moment, because you lost faith in the people who   
believed in you?' The voice demanded, sounding surprisingly cynical and harsh. 'If   
you have no hope in those who believe in you, why should they have hope in you?'  
  
Yuugi closed his eyes. He had to believe in the others, and most of all, begin   
to believe in himself, to have at least a bit of confidence and strength. If Anzu and   
Jounochi weren't scared, than why should he be? True, he was only a small, helpless   
boy, unable to protect even himself, but if he didn't start trying now, he never would.   
  
The small boy could not destroy his fears, but he could ignore them. And so,   
he gazed listlessly at the darkness around him, engaging his mind in a restless cycle of   
possibilities. He dared not give up the hope that the others had for him, even though   
he himself lacked such faith.   
  
At long last, Jounochi's gleaming head emerged from the darkness, followed   
by the rest of his body. The lycanthrope gave a slight shake before trotting towards   
Yuugi and Anzu, given them a thumbs-up.  
"It's good. I've got everything arranged."  
  
Anzu gave a sigh of relief, nudging the smaller boy to wake him from his   
slight daze. Jounochi then beckoned Yuugi into a pitch-black crevice on one side of   
the seemingly impenetrable wall.  
"This way."  
  
Slowly, and hesitantly, Yuugi clambered inside, feeling the icy-cold cement   
slightly scratch his back, making him involuntarily shudder, though not from fear. He   
vaguely wondered how Jounochi had managed to fit through such a tight opening.   
  
Anzu was the last to squeeze inside, and now, there was no light save the   
consistent glow of her blue-green eyes. Everything else had to be relied on by ear,   
from the tap-tapping of Jounochi's feet, to the thin breaths all three exhaled.   
  
The makeshift ceiling and corridors seemed to narrow out further, so that   
Jounochi was forced to duck, trotting slightly on all fours. Now that Jounochi was no   
longer blocking the front with his frame, Yuugi could see a slight distance in front of   
him. In actuality, the correct word would not be "see", since virtually all the small boy   
could take in was the darkness. He could, however, sense and approximate the   
distance ahead of him simply by gazing blankly in front of him. It was more of an   
intuitive feeling, and it left him slightly reassured.   
  
There was a point of light at what had to be the very end of the narrow   
passageway. At first, the signal was weak, pulsating and flickering erratically like a   
dusk-moth's wing. Slowly, the light grew stronger, the bead growing into an orb, and   
finally into a noticeable torch, lighting the sides around it in an eerie yellow-orange   
glow. There was an oaken door on the right of the torch, firmly sealed shut, reeking of   
mystery and solitude.   
  
Jounochi came to an abrupt halt, this time at the door. The blonde-haired   
lycanthrope tapped on the wooden plank exactly three times, the sound reverberating   
in firm, hollow thuds. He then turned to Yuugi.   
"Well, this is it kid. The rest is up to you."  
  
The aura of reassurance created by Jounochi and Anzu suddenly disappeared.   
Once again, Yuugi felt empty and alone, but utmostly, scared. He flashed his   
uncertain eyes at Jounochi, though the other refused to meet his gaze.   
  
"It's all right." Anzu spoke up. "Remember what we promised? We'll come   
back for you, no matter what."  
  
And even then, Yuugi still bit his lip in hesitation. The door looked so   
uninviting. He didn't want to separate from his protective escorts that were always   
there to surround and reassure him.   
  
'If you can't stand it now, how are you supposed to continue later?' The   
nagging voice demanded inside his mind.   
  
Yuugi shook is head. Now, he was hesitant instead of reluctant. True, he was   
still afraid that Anzu and Jounochi would never come back, and he would be alone,   
but it was as the voice had previously said. If he couldn't trust the others, then why   
should they trust him in the first place?  
  
"No." Yuugi muttered, much to Anzu and Jounochi's confusion. When the   
boy realized what he had said, he quickly rephrased himself. "It's okay. I'll go." He   
bit his lip nervously. "Just-just don't forget about me, okay?"  
  
Jounochi chuckled, putting a hand on the boy's head to ruffle his hair good-  
naturedly. "How could we ever forget someone like you? You mean more to me than   
you'll ever know, kid."  
  
But Yuugi knew. He knew how much he meant, how much he was valued in   
front of their eyes. With a last nod, the boy walked towards Jounochi's beckoning   
frame, putting his hand on the doorknob. The golden-haired lycanthrope gave Yuugi a   
final pat on the head before slowly retreating back into the darkness and away.   
  
Now, Yuugi was by himself. Alone, afraid, but not abandoned. He knew that   
they would come back.   
  
The boy leaned his small body towards the door, slowly twisting the rusted,   
metal knob.   
  
*********************************  
  
The door opened ever so slowly, cracking a single splinter of light through the   
thick darkness. Slowly, a pair of large amethyst eyes peered from the crack into the   
shadows below.   
  
"Come in." A gruff voice proclaimed from inside the dark room. There was a   
scuffle and a click before the darkness suddenly burst into dim light, revealing a thin   
childish figure standing in the center. Upon realizing that the door hadn't moved since   
the splinter of opening, the creature harrumphed again, flat reptilian eyes boring into   
the pair of meek amethyst ones half-hidden behind the door. "I said - come in!"  
  
Slowly, ever so painfully, the door opened. There stood, in the doorframe a   
petite figure, smaller even than some of the rat-humans. He had a crown of dazzling   
scarlet hair, complete with jagged gold bangs. His face was a smooth, creamy   
complexion, not even a single blemish warping his fragile face.   
  
The hybrid hissed as he took a good look at the figure in front of him.   
  
"S-someone told me to come and see you." The figure murmured, bowing his   
head so that the golden bangs covered his frightened expression. "Th-they told me   
that-"  
  
"-Yes." The other interrupted, quickly stepping behind the figure to firmly   
close the door. "I remember now." He sighed, closing his eyes. Finally, the time had   
come. After all those years, after all this waiting, the single precious instrument was   
finally in his hands.   
  
The small figure gulped loudly as he felt the cold reptilian eyes analyze him   
like a prized possession. Yet, a part of him knew this was the truth. He was   
invaluable, indisposable, and most of all, the last hope any of them had. They had all   
warned him of this before escorting him here.   
  
"So..." The reptile-human sat back on his desk, tongue flickering slightly   
against his lips. "You are..." His voice trailed off, throat constricting from both   
excitement and awe.   
  
At long last, the small figure looked up. He was still scared, but there was a   
strange glint of determination in his crystal-clear eyes. Slowly, ever so slowly, he   
nodded, feeling a slight weight rise and fall in his chest.   
  
"Yes. I am the last human."  
  
***************************************  
  
How reclusive did one have to be to be able to live in such an isolated place?  
  
That was the first and predominant thought that occurred in Yuugi's mind as   
he once again found himself treading down the bleak hallways. In actuality, the path   
was no more a hallway than the lizard-human leading him a tour guide, though it was   
good enough for the boy's active imagination.   
  
The lizard-human would occasionally turn around to gaze at Yuugi with   
strange, judgemental eyes. The small boy felt himself squirming under the gaze,   
diverting his attention to look everywhere but at the other. It made him feel like a   
porcelain doll: valuable, and unmistakably fragile.   
  
Yuugi's gaze darted quickly to the lizard human's walking figure. The hybrid   
had a torch in one hand that illuminated the darkness within a three-metre radius. The   
small boy sneezed a few times from the cold, each noise echoing harshly off the   
opaque walls.  
  
The lizard-human's eyes softened slightly. "Don't worry." He reassured, in his   
sibilant, accented voice. "It's not much longer."  
  
"W-why does he live here alone?" Yuugi asked, sniffling slightly and wiping   
his nose with a scratchy sleeve.  
  
"You mean, Seto?" The lizard-hybrid acknowledged Yuugi's nod. "He's been   
living here since who-knows-when, even before my grandsires were born."  
  
Yuugi's eyes widened at that statement. "Yes, but why alone?"  
  
Here, the lizard-human snorted. "I guess you could say that Seto Kaiba is like   
you. The last of his kind. He doesn't want others to know of his existence, and so, he   
hides from it."  
  
Yuugi mouthed a silent 'oh', though he said nothing past the comment.   
Briefly, he wondered what it would be like if he just gave up and spent the remainder   
of his life isolated, like Seto did. Yet, this Seto was willing to help Yuugi. Maybe this   
was the cyber-droid's purpose, just like how Yuugi's final purpose was to overcome   
_it_.  
  
'But what are you going to do after that?' A voice nagged, rather   
pessimistically in his mind. 'After this is done, do you still have a life or a reason to   
exist?'  
  
The small boy shook his head to clear such thoughts. Now was the time to   
focus on the present, not to get absorbed in a possibility of the clouded future.   
  
Yuugi was suddenly interrupted from his thoughts by a series of loud raps.   
The lizard-human had his snout pressed slightly against the cement, tapping the wall   
with his blunt claws.   
  
A concrete slab protruded from the wall, revealing an open passage. There was   
nothing behind the door but darkness.   
  
Nodding a bit in satisfaction, the lizard-human turned around to face Yuugi   
once more. "This is where I leave." He bowed slightly, in polite apology. "Even I am   
not allowed past this door."  
  
Yuugi's eyes widened. "You've never met Seto either?" He asked, half-  
incredulous. A part of him felt slightly used, being consistently shipped from one   
person to the next.   
  
"Consider it a privilege I will never have, then." The lizard-human chuckled.   
With no more than that, he turned to leave, taking the torch and warm glow of the   
light with him, and leaving the small boy in the darkness.   
  
Yuugi wanted to call back the lizard-human and exclaim his uncertainty. Yet,   
he reasoned that the only reason why the hybrid had left him was because he was safe.   
Yuugi was convinced that the lizard-human wouldn't have let even a hair on the boy's   
head get harmed.   
  
Yet, that did not convince the boy that the darkness that lay behind the door   
was safe. He stumbled slightly in the murky-grey gloom around him before placing   
his hand on the concrete doorframe. Slowly, inch-by-inch, he slid through the   
doorway, feeling ridiculously exposed. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled in   
ominous foreboding, making him tremble slightly.   
  
"H-hello?" Yuugi whispered, though this time, his voice did not echo, but   
rather, died seconds after. "Is anyone there?"  
  
A muffled rustle responded in reply, breaking into a series of mechanical   
clicks. There was a louder click and suddenly, a pool of brilliant, artificial light broke   
the darkness.   
  
Yuugi squinted slightly, bringing an involuntary hand to his eyes. Everything   
around him began to adjust, forming discernable pieces of furniture or endless piles of   
metal. Wires, even more thickly distributed than those in Jounochi's room, scattered   
across the entire area like thick spider webs, connecting to various pieces of humming   
machinery.   
  
"Impressive, isn't it?"  
  
Yuugi started at the sudden sound. It was a firm and sibilant voice, grating in   
tone. The small boy immediately pivoted his head, trying to locate the source.  
  
"Of course." There was a rather derisive snort. "Pathetic. You humans are   
always the same. Relying so much on your own judgement."  
  
The small boy began involuntarily backing away from the voice, hand edging   
towards the doorframe. "W-what do you mean?" He asked, wavering in confusion and   
a slight fear.   
  
"Perfection, that's what I mean." The voice grew in frustration, almost ranting.   
"When you humans decided to create your wonderful masterpieces, you abandoned   
all sense of self-righteousness for pride. You corrupted your judgement with power   
and hunger, always seeking to advance yourself while destroying those who disagreed   
with you."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Yuugi shot back. The small boy   
was slightly angry now, not understanding why this voice, this Seto, continued   
blaming him for something he did not do. "Maybe I _am_ a human, but that doesn't   
mean that I am exactly like the rest of them! You should not make a judgement on an   
individual based on the majority of its kind!"  
  
A pause. "Smart words." The voice quipped tartly. "But you might speak only   
lies. I trust no one."  
  
"I'm not asking for your trust." Yuugi finally replied, somewhat exasperated   
by the hostile tone. "I'm not asking for anything. I was _sent_ here by others, and had   
hoped you would help." The boy glared defiantly at the space around him,   
challenging the voice, heart pounding weakly. They had said that Seto was the key to   
finding about the Game. If this Seto abandoned him…  
  
"Fine. The exit is right behind you."  
  
Yuugi could have sworn that the voice sounded smug. He hesitated, knees   
buckling weakly in refusal, before slowly turning away and facing the doorframe in   
grim acceptance. The darkness outside looked dank and uninviting, a strange twist   
from before.  
  
"Or, you can accept my little challenge."  
  
Yuugi was unsure whether his heart leapt or plummeted at the last statement.   
His mind raced. A challenge? What did that mean? What was he supposed to do?   
Uncertainty began to cloud his mind.   
  
Yet then again, what did he have to lose?  
  
"What challenge?" The small boy's voice sounded meek and timid,   
diminished even by the ever-consistent humming of machinery. "What do you want?"  
  
The voice began to chuckle, a low rumble that turned into full-fledged   
sardonic laughter. "What do _I_ want?" It asked, slightly unbelieving. "What do   
_you_ want?"  
  
Yuugi was taken aback. What did he want? Was it to defeat _it_ once and for   
all, and bring a peace to this scantiful community he did not belong to? Or was it to   
fulfill his purpose of existing? Or maybe… it was to create a false illusion of   
worthiness.   
  
The small boy opened his mouth. His mind raced over the billions of wants,   
the desire to be recognized, accepted, understood, and for once, to belong. Even his   
mind was alien to him, leaving him in a fog of confusion and defeat.   
"I want…" He began, before closing his mouth, frowning slightly. "Why   
would you care?"  
  
And then, the brilliant light burst into darkness, the machinery screeching into   
a sudden silence.   
  
***********************************  
  
The first thing that occurred to Yuugi was the absence of all sensations. He   
couldn't see, he couldn't hear, and, he realized with a jolting shock, he couldn't move   
or sense anything. It was as if he was completely in a state of disembodiment, mind   
separated from all his senses and even his own body.   
  
Struggling proved worthless. In the darkness created by his mind, the   
struggling was only a futile behaviour to ease his frustration. He could do nothing!   
How was he to do anything, when he could not receive any information save only   
those stored in his mind? How could he live with only memories?  
  
No. He wouldn't let himself panic. He knew he was being tested. Even as his   
mind began to doubt even himself, he knew he at least had a firm anchor to grasp on.   
  
Yuugi was alive. In a sense. He was aware, and he was conscious. He had to   
stop relying on his environment, and instead, attune his senses to his mind. In this   
state of complete isolation, Yuugi could only turn to himself for guidance.   
  
:Clever boy. Figuring out things yourself:  
  
Yuugi ignored the voice. Now was the time to concentrate on creating the   
senses. If his mind was his only resource, then he would use it. He would _imagine_ a   
reality for himself.   
  
Slowly, the world of nothingness began to fabricate, to meld into visions   
created by memories and imagination. There was a flat, planar ground stretched   
beneath him as far as the eye could envision. Above him loomed an impassive sky-  
blue ceiling, and jutting from every angle of the visualized walls were piles upon piles   
of stairs. They jutted in awkward positions, some upside-down, some sideways, and   
some even spiralling in a perpetual, unending arc. There were stairs that lead to doors,   
stairs that lead to more stairs, and even stairs that ended the moment it was created.   
  
In reality, it would be an impossible vision, but this was a realm created by   
Yuugi's mind, where anything it imagined was possible.   
  
Yuugi convinced himself of his own body and feelings. He gave himself the   
form he had always seen himself as: a petit, small boy, with slightly unruly jagged   
hair and large, violet eyes. Even his clothing was memorized and reiterated to   
perfection, the Puzzle still dangling firmly at chest-level.   
  
And now, with his reality constructed around him, with the images flashing so   
vibrantly, each one projected firmly by his mind, did he begin realize the truth.   
  
This was a virtual reality. This was a world within his own world, sparked   
only by human imagination.   
  
This was the Game.  
  
Yuugi now turned to face Seto. He did not know what the other truly looked   
like, but he began to envision an image in his mind. It was an impulsive image   
assembled by assumptions, but it would do as an icon for the invisible voice always   
surrounding him.   
  
A tall figure stood several meters away from Yuugi, twice the height of the   
small boy himself. This figure appeared human, from the precise brown hair to the   
serious steel-blue eyes. And then, there was the feeling of awe, of power and   
dominance that the figure created.   
  
Seto Kaiba smiled, moving his hands and gazing at his created figure with a   
mixed gaze of approval. Though Yuugi had envisioned the body, he was by no means   
in charge of the being.   
  
"I see. Of course you need something to recognize me by." He chuckled,   
folding his arms over his chest, long navy jacket rustling slightly. "Interesting…   
choice."  
  
Yuugi, however, was concerned in other matters. For some reason, this   
imaginary world tugged at his heart, filling him with an instinct for longing. He   
hastily tried to ignore the foreign emotion. "Why did you bring me here?"  
  
"Why did you choose to be who you are?" Seto retorted, eyes unchanging. "I   
am only here to watch you."  
  
"Watch _what_?" Yuugi asked, exasperated. "What is there to watch?" He   
looked around, at his makeshift world. "This is just a dream-world; a fantasy world I   
have created. I don't see what's so wonderful about this, or even my creating this."   
The small boy sighed again, slightly impatient. "Can I return to the normal world   
now?"   
  
"Maybe." The other's response was, in the least, demure. "Only if you answer   
my question."  
  
However, Yuugi's mind was still young and innocent, and he suspected   
nothing. "Go ahead." It was the invitation to an unexpected challenge.   
  
Seto smirked, the smile plastered wryly on his face, eyes still unchanging, not   
even flickering the slightest in emotion. "Tell me. What is your name?"  
  
Yuugi immediately opened his mouth to respond. "My name is-" He was cut   
off by his own doubt. No. His name couldn't be Yuugi. It was only a pet name created   
by Jounochi and Anzu.   
  
A bit of despair crept into his consciousness, the vision around him darkening   
a touch in correspondence. The sky-blue ceiling seemed to have shifted to a slight   
murky-grey.   
  
How should he know his name, when his memories were so firmly   
barricaded? He could not remember any past events, and the few memories he   
retrained were only shallow remarks, his first impression of a completely different   
society.   
  
Yuugi bowed his head in shame and embarrassment, a slight flush developing   
against his fair skin. "I-I don't remember."  
  
"Yes." Came Seto Kaiba's sarcastic remark. "Of course you don't. Naturally,   
you don't."  
  
Anger and resentment flashed in Yuugi's mind. He briefly lost control of his   
reality, everything plummeting once again into nothingness before blurring and   
reconstructing itself into its previous picture. Was it fair to ask someone something   
they had no control over? He couldn't remember his name because he forgotten.   
  
And then, perhaps Seto had expected him to bluff.   
"My name," Yuugi stated, drawing as much posture as he could with his petit   
frame, "Is Yuugi."  
  
The other seemed unamused. "A name. I don't want any name, I want your   
_true_ name."  
  
There was no real answer to this question. Any name that Yuugi offered would   
immediately be rejected, because no name could ever hold the title of being "true" or   
"pure" in the other's eyes.   
  
It was a perfect, perpetual hole in logic.   
  
"Your true name isn't Seto." Yuugi finally stated bluntly, trying to confirm the   
conclusions in his spinning mind.   
  
Seto smiled. "Perhaps."  
  
"And I am not Yuugi." The small boy already knew that. He furrowed his   
brows, deep in thought. "But I am real, aren't I?"  
  
"Perhaps." Another enigmatic reply.   
  
Time seemed to lapse on forever. Yuugi could feel and literally see himself,   
deep in thought, trying to ponder over the truth of the statement. What was Seto trying   
to prove?  
  
A strange, impulsive feeling began collecting in his consciousness. It burned   
at the back of his mind, demanding to be released, to fly among this make-believe   
world and correct his confusion. This feeling had taken a semi-solid form, a shadowy   
presence barely restrained by glittering bars of mental will. Yet, Yuugi was afraid of   
this world, afraid of this feeling, and he refused to accept it.  
  
'You do not exist in this world' The shadow behind the cage whispered, voice   
tempting. 'You do not belong here. Set me free and I shall help you fly.'  
  
Yuugi felt his resolve dwindling. The presence immediately seized the   
moment, breaking apart his determination with a single wrench, twisting his mind   
under its influence.  
  
It was as if he had plunged into a pool of limitless awareness. He could _see_   
things he had once been oblivious to, the sensations twisting his mind and warping his   
thoughts. And the world around him began to shift once more.  
  
The spindly, delicate strands of staircases had elonganated and expanded,   
separating from their labyrinth to meld into a shapeless mass at certain, distinct   
points. They stretched out in an impressive length, a gigantic, nameless structure. But   
most of all, their new shape mirrored the ornament hanging around his neck.  
  
"I have solved your riddle." He suddenly exclaimed, eyes not wide and   
uncertain but suddenly serious and determined. Now, he understood. Now, he was in   
control. "I am nameless. I do not exist in reality." He suddenly stood straight, bearing   
his form tall and proud, slim figure poised and regal.   
  
He was not Yuugi anymore. In this Game, in this reality, Yuugi, the small,   
innocent, helpless boy, did not exist. True, the Game might be just an imagination, a   
limitless replica of the real world. Yet, the power of the Game lay in its ability to   
warp reality.   
  
The Game had changed him.  
  
"My Game name is Yu-gi-oh."  
  
************************************  
  
Seto Kaiba curved his mouth into a half-grin. A livid fire began to burn inside   
his once-dull sapphire-blue eyes, dancing with excitement and impatience.   
  
This was the Dark face of the boy, Yuugi. This was the face the Game had   
created, the personality the Game constructed, manifesting a bit of itself into the boy.   
  
And this newly created being, this _other_ of Yuugi, was the result.   
  
"Game King." Seto dared his voice to mock the other. "I challenge you to a   
Duel."  
  
The other responded with a firm and confident glare, followed by a curt nod of   
approval.   
  
***********************************  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jounochi's Corner:   
  
Jounochi: Hello! Welcome to my corner! *realizes that he's wearing a Cero costume*   
What the- *rips it apart* Anyway, I'm here to provide an entertaining question-and-  
answer session for all ya readers out there!  
  
*a bundle of packages suddenly falls on Jounochi's head*  
  
Jounochi: Ouch! Hey, watch it! *rubs head*   
*opens up bundle and reads first letter*   
  
"Dear Zoo. I liked your Club 0013 a lot. I hope this one will turn out just as well!"  
  
Jounochi: Well, Miss. Talia Ali, I can assure you that Zoo sucks and that this will not   
turn out well at all. That is, if she doesn't give me a big role.   
*he is suddenly hit over the head by a large mallet*  
  
Jounochi: HEY! I said, watch the head! *grumbles and pulls out another letter.*  
  
"Dear Zoo. I like the furry friends, hehe. Jounouchi as a canine, mwahaha. Wonder   
why he doesn't like Seto in *this* universe..."  
  
Jounochi: HAS SETO BRAINWASHED EVERYONE?!?!?! HOW MUCH MONEY   
DID HE BRIBE YOU TO SAY THAT?!?!?! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THAT   
#$#&*@*, I'LL #$#@$*#($*#($(#$-  
  
*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*  
  
*due to some technical difficulties, "Jounochi's Corner" has been cut short. Sorry for   
any inconveniences*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***********************************  
  
End notes:   
  
I should've known that caffeine and sugar don't mix well. Okay, okay, no more   
"Jounochi's Corners" then. *thinks* Hmmm… how about a "Pegasus's Corner"?  
  
o.O;;; Princess Monoke/Sailor Moon?!??! Well, it _would_ be original! I'm behind   
you 100%, Myst-Lady! (I love that movie too ;P)  
  
Oh ^^()! Thanks for the extra comments. You guys really have this reviewing thing   
down beautifully, and have pointed out several of the subtler hints in my fic – I'm   
impressed!  
  
Next time:  
-Is Yu-gi-oh really Yuugi?  
-Duel! The first match within the Game. 


	4. Entry 04

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh.   
  
I'm in a little debate with myself currently. I'd like to do a sequel to "Club 0013", but   
it would have to be more of an "Arc" than a sequel (all the characters will be   
restored). I'd like your input on my idea – even if you disapprove it!   
  
Note: I have capitalized 'reality'. This helps you identify with the individual's created   
world within in the Game.   
  
****************************************  
  
Last time:  
  
"Game King." Seto dared his voice to mock the other. "I Challenge you."  
  
The other responded with a firm and confident glare, followed by a curt nod of   
approval.   
  
  
****************************************  
  
Entry 0.4  
  
  
It really didn't matter whether or not he went first. Seto Kaiba was a cyber-  
droid, programmed thousands of years ago, filled with centuries of experience. He   
thrived on the Game, was tied to the Game, and only existed because of the damned   
Game. There were no secrets of the Game to him – each strategy had been   
meticulously programmed in his mind.   
  
The other, the _Game King_ watched the cyber-droid, waiting patiently, the   
human aspect of him unsure of what to do.   
  
Seto ignored the other. This was a test. The cyber-droid had long lost his   
feeling of emotions, though they lay stored in some remote part of his mind.   
Programmed information was never deleted.   
  
To test this human, this individual, this contestant of the game, Seto Kaiba had   
to be ruthless. It didn't matter if this was the last human. For what good was a human   
which would only be devoured by _it_?  
  
"Monsters." Seto suddenly exclaimed out loud, plunging into an explanation   
without even bothering to wait for the anticipated question. "You play by summoning   
monsters onto the field. Since the Game is based on your imagination, you are able to   
twist special effects of monsters or infuse them with extra power or strength. In fact,   
you may even-"  
  
"-Infuse parts of your Reality into the Duel itself." The other, Yu-gi-oh,   
responded with a slight smirk. The strange Sennen Puzzle around his neck glowed just   
the slightest.   
  
Seto refused to goggle. Now was not the time to make assumptions. Perhaps   
the Game had given the boy an extra sensitivity, or perhaps the Game had   
accidentally fused too much of its power. Power meant nothing. The Game did not   
quite understand power, and power could not associate with the Game. What really   
mattered was-  
  
"-The first person to lose his concentration, or, as you would call them, life   
points, will lose the Duel. A Duel may also be forfeited at any time." The Game King   
announced in his regal voice. It was strange how different he was from the small,   
whimpering Yuugi in the real world. It was as if he was, altogether, an entirely   
different individual.   
  
Yet, that had to be impossible. At least, Seto thought it was impossible.   
Usually, when humans entered the Game, living in their constructed "Reality", they   
would borrow some knowledge from the Game, also called "infusing" or "changing"   
themselves to fit the nature of the Game. Some people were naturally more adept into   
blending with the Game than others, creating almost a second personality due to their   
close relationship with the Game. Yet, was it possible to absorb enough of the Game   
to create an altogether _different_ personality?  
  
Either that, or Yuugi was a very, very fast learner. Too uncannily fast that   
even his mind refused to accept it.   
  
Colbalt-blue eyes bore into the crimson one's of his opponent. Seto Kaiba   
nodded, bringing his hand to his face to snap his fingers once. It was more of a cue   
than a necessary action; the patterns and data stored in his mind was already re-  
assembling to their trained positions.   
  
The melded labyrinth of stairs faded, sifting some before reconstructing itself   
entirely. Now, the two opponents were in a circular arena, each standing by a stone   
podium. Briskly, Seto Kaiba walked towards his podium, placing his arm on the flat   
slab tapered at the top. Yu-gi-oh did the same. There was a brief click, as suddenly, a   
thin metallic strap fastened both the cyber-droid and Game King's forearms, locking   
them to the podium.   
  
The Game King shifted slightly in surprise, a bit of humanistic reproach   
shimmering in his eyes, fading the crimson to a soulful violet for the faintest of   
seconds. Then, they disappeared, the red once again diluting his eyes, determination   
replacing any further moments of hesitation.   
  
"This," Seto Kaiba stated, pointing to his own manacled forearm, "Is to   
prevent you from escaping during the Duel. However, the longer you play, the more   
you'll have to deal with." The cyber-droid shrugged slightly. "You could say that it   
becomes more a Duel of concentration than strategy or power."  
  
Yu-gi-oh simply shrugged. He flickered his eyes towards the other in   
restrained approval. "Will you start or do I have the honours?"  
  
Seto responded with an equally monotonous reply. "Go ahead. I'm in no   
rush."  
  
The other simply nodded. He furrowed his brows, closing his eyes for a   
moment in deep concentration. Finally, he snapped them open, suddenly thrusting his   
free hand in front of him to signal his command.   
  
"My monster will be the Blackland Fire Dragon!"  
  
From the dark void between the two facing opponents spurted a large, reptilian   
dragon. It arched its wings, roaring ferociously before taking a bristling, offensive   
stance. Oddly enough, the shadowy expanse, the field between the two opponents,   
began to distort and stretch until it easily housed enough room for the large monster.  
  
Seto shrugged, returning to his methodical, emotionless façade. He simply   
gazed once at the summoned monster before creating his own. The fabricated storage   
networks in his mind immediately set out to "imagining" and then replicating the   
creature.   
  
"My beast is the Battle Ox, and the Duel's rules states his attack power being   
1700, exactly 200 attack points above your Dragon."  
  
Seto's beast was an uncanny blend of muscular oxen and human, the strange   
creation swinging down on the Game King's dragon with an arc of his battle-axe. The   
Blackland Fire Dragon barely had time to screech in retort before it was sliced in half   
by the sharp blade, bursting into livid green flames, buckling weakly and   
disappearing.   
  
It was instantaneous pain. The manacle wrapped around the Game King's   
wrist flared in the same green light, suddenly burning with intensity. The Game King   
grunted, dropping involuntarily to one knee. His entire arm felt like it had been   
wrenched by the joint. The sensation trickled through his arms and into his body,   
enveloping each of his nerves in liquid fire. It was an unrivalled agony, leaving the   
Game King trembling, buckling in confession to the pain. His muscles screamed and   
his lungs gasped for air, frozen into numb submission. Cold sweat collected on his   
forehead, trickling down his tanned-white skin.   
  
And then, it was over. Yu-gi-oh collapsed the moment pain faded away,   
though the manacle prevented him from kneeling. Instead, his once-regal form lay   
drooped over the podium in exhaustion. Shivering, the Game King slowly pulled   
pushed himself up from his elbows, wavering to a standing position. His breath   
heaved in pained gasps, bangs clinging to the sweat by his brows.   
  
Seto Kaiba's smile grew more sadistic. "So," He mocked, taunting the   
bedraggled other, "You are a new player, inexperienced at a Duel. How could you   
think of accepting my challenge? I have been part of the Game since its creation -   
_nothing_ escapes my eyes." The cyber-droid's venomous words burned into the   
Game King's mind. "Give up, Yu-gi-oh. Give up, and disappear. Let your human soul   
take you back to true reality and never come back to this artificial Game again."  
  
Yet, the Game King simply laughed. It was a low chuckle, growing to a loud,   
sarcastic bark of laughter. "You simply caught me off guard." Was his only comment   
as he dared his protesting body to straighten up and blatantly face the other. "I learn,   
Seto; I will learn this Duel of yours."   
  
The Game King pointed to a space some meters away from the Battle Ox,   
calling in a strange, arcane language. A rectangular portion of the ground began to   
glimmer just slightly before fading back into the deceptive darkness.   
"For my next turn, I shall call upon the Mystical Elf, in defence!"  
  
It was an impressive choice; that much Seto had to admit. The Mystical Elf, a   
beautiful human-like card with uncanny blue skin and wispy blonde hair, rose to life,   
bringing her hands into a prayer, chanting silent words. Yet, her power was not   
hidden to the cyber-droid. He knew all her strengths and weaknesses; even the precise   
points of defence and attack she held as a specified monster.   
  
Thus, Seto found himself in an interesting position. True, his Battle Ox was   
300 attack points below the cut-off line, but he could easily equip his monster and   
destroy the defending creature. And then again, he could summon a stronger monster.   
Yet, the higher the level or power of the monster being summoned, the more sacrifice   
monsters it needed on the field. This was mainly due to the concentration factor; it   
was _very_ difficult for one to maintain a high level monster and several low-level   
ones on their field at the same time. Therefore, a sacrifice, in a nutshell, made   
duelling, or concentrating on the Duel, simpler. It also prevented the field from over-  
cluttering.   
  
"I think I shall sacrifice my Battle Ox for my Swordstalker." Seto smirked,   
watching his creature apparate into fine, dark mist, before re-solidifying and forming   
a gigantic, hulking creation. It resembled a darkened humanoid beetle, wielding   
another large weapon in its muscular arms. The cyber-droid regarded his opponent's   
Mystical Elf, eyelids half-closed. "Swordstalker, finish the Mystical Elf."  
  
The beast immediately complied, giving a grunt before propelling itself   
towards its opponent. For a beast of its bulky proportion, it moved startlingly fast,   
swinging its blade like a child's toy to slice the Elf at a downward arc.   
  
The Game King smirked.  
  
The impact of the attack had caused a small explosion, billowing into a   
smoky-grey dust cloud. The cloud slowly dispersed, revealing the Mystical Elf, still   
standing, still serenely chanting.   
  
"You forgot." Yu-gi-oh taunted. "You said that you could play Magic or Trap   
effects in this Duel." The Game King pointed an accusing finger at Kaiba. "You lost   
this round. I activate my Magic effect, the 'Spellbinding Circle'."   
The Game King focused his concentration, drawing upon the imagination of a   
large, circular mandala, growing from the ground to snare the attacking Swordstalker   
into paralysis. The Swordstalker briefly struggled, trying to escape, though   
immediately stopped by the binding effects of the Circle.   
"Oh, and not only does the Circle stop your monster, but it also brings its   
attack and defence points down by a factor of 700." The Game King couldn't resist   
taunting the other. "Surely you must have known, since you claimed so much   
experience in the Game."  
  
Seto was more amused than anything else. The other had actually managed to   
outwit him for this turn, a strange defeat he had not experienced for quite a while.   
Yet, this Duel was far from over. True, the Game King's unexpected knowledge of   
Magic and Trap effects had surprised him, but it was not something completely   
unusual. Those with more of an attachment to the Game often sported such skills.   
  
"A minor setback." Seto claimed, drawing his next card. He knew that he had   
to somehow dismiss his trapped monster. "For my next turn, I simply change my   
Swordstalker to defence."  
  
It was strange, watching the gargantuan of a beast suddenly bow its head and   
yield to a crouching submission. However, it was a clever tactic, preventing the   
weakened monster from loosing any life points.   
  
The Game King smirked, ever so confident. He closed his eyes, sensing for the   
next monster. "Win, lose, it all starts now."   
He narrowed his eyes, concentrating on shifting his creature to reality. "My   
next monster is the Alpha Magnet Warrior, in attack mode, to destroy your weakened   
Swordstalker!"  
  
The monster, a strange geometrical monster sporting a tapered magnetic-  
shaped head, leapt into the fray, mechanical claws sizzling with electricity as it took   
the gigantic creature down. And yet, even as Seto took the damage, electric pain   
coursing through his body, he seemed unfazed. Even… unaware of the pain.   
  
Seto Kaiba snorted derisively at the Game King's surprise to the cyber-droid's   
immunity towards pain. "I don't exist as a human, so physical pain means nothing to   
me." His smile of contempt grew a bit wider when he noticed the other reel slightly in   
indignation. For a single moment, his cold sapphire eyes seem to glimmer with   
unnatural emotion, though they quickly disappeared back into the icy blue folds of   
contempt.   
The cyber-droid crossed his arms. "I have had enough of this fooling around,   
Yu-gi-oh. This Duel shall end now." He spoke the last sentence slowly and   
menacingly, lowering his gaze directly towards the other's.   
  
At first, it seemed like nothing was happening. Without warning, the ground   
began to shake, trembling with energy, dark colour paling to a startling white. The   
ivory surface shook erratically, until it seemed to be not a planar battlefield but a sea   
of pale electric light. There was a grating static crackle as a burst of metallic-white   
shot from the electrified ground into the sky, causing an explosion of jagged   
lightening.   
  
The Game King's eyes widened in surprise. His scarlet eyes continued to gaze,   
disbelieving at Seto Kaiba's monster, even as it settled itself down onto the re-  
blackened ground. It was a chrome dragon, even larger than the previous   
Swordstalker, its silvery-white hide glistening in the darkness. Twin orbs of pure   
sapphire were embedded on each side of its tapered head, the only other colour on the   
beast.   
  
Seto Kaiba's grin grew into a full-out laugh, a distasteful, proud, and   
condescending bark. "You like my pet?" His brilliant cobalt eyes bore like mirror   
images to the ones his chrome dragon. "Say hello to my Blue Eyes White Dragon, a   
monster of uncontested power!"  
  
Yu-gi-oh's eyes narrowed in accusation. "You said that monsters of a high   
level could only be used with a sacrifice. Your Blue Eyes White Dragon must at least   
be at level seven."  
  
"Did I now?" Seto Kaiba was now the taunting one. "I seem to have forgotten   
something. You see, every player in the Game has a special monster, one that could   
be summoned at any time. This monster is fabricated exactly like their mind, to match   
their exact persona. That's why it doesn't take any energy for me to summon my Blue   
Eyes, because it represents who I am."  
  
"It represents your mind and soul, if you had one." The Game King stated   
bluntly, mind wracking for any comeback. What monster was stronger than the   
dragon? Not only that, but what monster was his to claim, one that mirrored his mind   
and reality?  
  
He tried to summon up ideas, to conjure a memory, a bit of a personality of   
himself.   
  
And he realized that he didn't exist.   
  
No, it wasn't like that. It was the simple fact that he wasn't actually one   
existence but two.   
  
Somewhere, in the back of his mind, or maybe in a vacant corner was the soul   
of a child, watching the entire spectacle with awed, frightened eyes. Here, dominating   
his mind was the Game, giving him both the strength and knowledge.   
  
"I am-"  
  
And he was torn. He was a puppet, reflecting both the mind of the Game, and   
the soul of the child. He was this child, but he wasn't. The darkness of the Game had   
claimed him, changed him, forced him to understand and accept.   
  
He was the child of darkness, the magician of the Game.  
  
"-the Dark Magician!"  
  
No sooner had those words escaped his mouth, had he felt something tug at his   
consciousness. It seemed to swell inside his chest until the pressure became   
unbearable, demanding an exit to freedom. Immediately, the Game King complied,   
closing his eyes, releasing the power, releasing his freed imagination.   
  
This monster's entrance was subtler. Tendrils of dark shadows shot from the   
ground, melding into a vague frame and finally into substantial features. Slowly, the   
wisps of darkness parted, revealing what seemed like a tall youth clad in ebony   
armour, his costume decorated slightly with swirls of violet. Even his hair was a   
strange violet-black, eyes slightly cold and listless against his fair, almost-kindly face.   
The magician clenched a large stave in one hand, the orb of the item glittering with   
the only luminosity.   
  
The Game King felt the child part of him stir in wonder. This presence, though   
separate in identity, rested subconsciously in his mind while he Dueled. He could feel   
the child's interest and wonder, and he felt his feelings replicate those of the other's.   
  
And it was during that single second that the child seemed to be aware of him.   
Yu-gi-oh could feel the presence of the child's questioning eyes, perhaps wondering   
how he came to be or what exactly he was. The Game King had no response. He   
wasn't really an individual at all, but a simple, melded creation. He was simply a   
mirror of the child, structured from the darkness of the Game.   
  
A shriek from the Blue Eyes White Dragon interrupted any further probing.   
The Game King snapped his eyes into reality, glaring at Seto Kaiba as defiantly as   
possible. "I summon another monster in defence. That ends my turn."  
  
"Idiot!" Seto Kaiba shouted, all but brimming with triumph. His eyes danced   
with disdain. "I had thought you had more sense than that. No trap or magic cards,   
and you expect to take out my Blue Eyes with your Dark Magician? You waste your   
time, trying to call more monsters into the field. This is a contest of strength, not   
numbers!"  
  
Yu-gi-oh simply glared back. He felt a twinge of apprehension, not his own.   
"Maybe I can't win directly against your dragon, but I will at least have back up."  
  
"With your Dark Magician out of the Duel, there will be no monster of yours   
strong enough to stand against my Blue Eyes." Seto Kaiba simply shrugged. "Truly   
Game King, you disappoint me. I wouldn't have expected such a quick Duel, not with   
someone of your calibre."  
  
With a nod of the cyber-droid's head, the Blue Eyes responded, launching into   
the air with a flap of its brittle white wings. It gave a screech of triumph, poising in   
mid-air before opening its jaw to reveal layers of serrated white teeth. An orb of   
brilliant white light built in the dragon's jaws, expanding until it burst into a beam of   
electricity, arched straight towards the Dark Magician.   
  
And then, the Game King dropped his façade. As the beam of lightning shot   
down on the seemingly hapless Magician, Yu-gi-oh's grimace shifted into a smirk of   
triumph.   
  
There was an explosion of electric-white light and shadowy darkness, each   
power pummelling the other until both grew silent. The devastation cleared to reveal   
the Dark Magician, still standing, arms crossed in a mirror expression of superiority.   
  
"You were right, Seto Kaiba." The Game King called out. "I could not win   
with a single monster of mine against yours. Yet, who said that monsters had to   
function alone?"  
  
An empty space somewhat to the left of the Dark Magician glimmered, a   
ghostly apparition that solidified into the hidden monster. It looked like a petite,   
orange-haired girl, sporting a pointed hat and black fabricated garb. From its back   
protruded a pair of pure-white feathery wings.   
  
"My other monster." The Game King continued, enjoying the shock so clearly   
written on the other's face. "Is the Apprentice Witch. True, her attack power of 550   
may make her seem quite useless, but she also has a special effect."  
  
Upon that cue, the Witch smiled, tilting her head in impudence against the   
Blue Eyes.  
  
"Whenever the Apprentice Witch is on the field, all Dark type monsters, such   
as my Dark Magician, get a power boost of five-hundred, white all Light type   
monsters, like your Blue Eyes White Dragon, get a power decrease of four-hundred."  
Yu-gi-oh continued to lecture in the most obvious tone. "Surely you must have   
known, Seto Kaiba, since you boast so much knowledge of the Game."  
  
The cyber-droid's eyes widened in disbelief. It was uncalled for, and the   
chances of an _amateur_ winning were nearly impossible. How could this other, this   
person who had no previous knowledge of the Game defeat him this easily?   
Moreover, how could he have let the other win? Was it that the cyber-droid had   
actually underestimated his opponent?  
  
It was too late now. The Dark Magician lifted his stave in one hand, bringing   
it down in a slicing arc, tip pointed straight at the Blue Eyes. For one shattering   
second, the entire field seemed to reverse in colour, as if the power of the Magician   
had altered the scheme of Reality. With a final, defeated shriek, the Blue Eyes arched   
its wings, flailing its head before disappearing into fragments of white light.   
  
This time, there was no escaping the pain. Seto Kaiba doubled over in shock   
as lancelets of darkness coursed into his mind, invisible shadowy tendrils trying to   
strangle his soul-less husk. Now, the cyber-droid could feel the loss, suffering the   
agony, writhing within his created, imagined body.   
  
"Enough."  
  
A single word from the Game King, and the sensation disappeared, carrying   
with it the stage, monsters, and even the podium. Now, only the two former   
combatants faced each other.   
  
Seto Kaiba glared. "I could leave this reality right now, and abandon this   
imaged body." He stated, voice contemptuous.   
  
Yu-gi-oh simply crossed his arms, smirking ever-so-confidently. "Then why   
didn't you? Why didn't you just ignore the suffering?"  
  
"Shut the hell up!" Seto Kaiba snarled, bristling in apprehension. Something   
in his tone of voice told the other had the Game King had struck a spot.   
  
At first, it was barely noticeable, just a vague shudder of darkness, as if the   
empty air around them had rippled in apprehension. The second time was not so   
subtle; the ground suddenly heaved and lurched, buckling beneath the two Duelists'   
feet like a monstrous leviathan. Invisible winds, uncontrolled, unseeable in this   
Reality, began to whistle and shake, tearing apart equally transparent fragments in a   
horrendous roar.   
  
And seeping into the once-concealed mask of created Reality was the mastermind;  
the naked, exposed flesh of the Game itself. It was a continuous, wiry network of livid   
green meshes exposed on a hollow grey-black background. Garbled words and letters swirled  
in this chaotic hole, repeating a continuous, bilingual pattern of "0" and "1"s.   
  
Though this pattern remained oblivious in the Game King's eyes, Seto Kaiba   
immediately recognized the language. Through the crumbling, breaking walls of their   
Reality, he could clearly make out the runes floating and sliding down the   
background. Ascotti, it had once been called: the language of the computers, or first   
cyborgs.   
  
Now, it spoke, in its binary language, a single word, repeating it again and   
again in its malevolent, shimmering green. The background was now corroding   
through the entire frame of their Reality, bearing its warning upon the oblivious Game   
King and all-too aware cyber-droid.   
  
B.E.W.A.R.E  
  
They danced, perpetual words, escaping meaning for a few scant seconds   
before returning again.   
  
B.E.W.A.R.E  
  
The words shook, vibrating. And all around them, the swirling, shimmering,   
screeching mass came to a sudden standstill.   
  
  
Absolute silence.  
  
It was the lull before the omniscient storm.   
  
The words faded from sight, escaping into darkness to be quickly replaced.   
  
I.T…  
  
Seto had thought that the Game King knew nothing of this ancient language,   
but the other was clearly staring, in an expression between trepidation and awe, at the   
lurking green words. These were the words of the Game itself, the words that made up   
the Realities created by all.   
  
S.E.E.S  
  
Had Seto not been in this situation, he might have found the words   
overdramatic. Yet, they were shockingly powerful: directing a simple, foreshadowing   
statement.   
  
Bang. A single thump in the silence. Silence quiet enough to make the Game   
King's thumping heart beat tenfold in sound.   
  
….Y.O.U  
  
Then, all words disappeared together. For the longest time, there was nothing   
but the thump-thump of rapidly beating hearts and a greater sense of fear.   
  
_It_ was coming.   
  
There was no escape.   
  
Seto Kaiba was the first to break the trance. He fixated his colbalt-blue eyes   
towards the frozen figure of the other.   
"Run." He suddenly spoke the single word, voice devoid of emotion.   
  
Surprised, the Game King found himself staring back, violet-red orbs confused   
and slightly unnerved. This strange presence coming towards them; it was a suspense   
building just moments before climax. He could feel the invisible eyes watching him,   
waiting for him to make a move, while knowing all the time that he was helpless.   
  
The cyber-droid's calm eyes grew into a malevolent sapphire. "Leave," Seto   
snarled, lunging angrily towards the other. "Get out now!"  
  
Part of the Game King was defiant over the sudden command; fortunately, the   
greater part of him had more sense than to argue. He was immediately running,   
jumping and weaving through the falling layers of Reality. The darkness was   
crumbling around him, warping into points of utter chaos. Yu-gi-oh made sure to   
avoid those strange, shifting masses teeming with glowing Ascotti – they were like   
virtual sinkholes seeking to swallow him up for eternity. And if his mind   
disappeared, then his body, even in the real world, would mean nothing…  
  
The nearest tear in the fabricated darkness seemed to lunge straight at him, a   
whirling mass of greens and murky greys. In that single second, the void of chaos was   
not an insubstantial gap but an actual creature. It was formed in the shape of a   
spectacular winged beast, complete with darkly luminescent feathers and shimmering   
claws. The beast snapped its curved beak at the Game King, its golden eyes on fire.   
  
And then, the apparition disappeared, to be replaced by chaos once more.   
Everything was disappearing, slowly and steadily sucked up by the background of the   
Game, the warp of non-existence. Now, the Game King was running on the scant   
remnants of his Reality, the only substance he could exist and touch without being   
infinitely destroyed or wiped out. He continued fleeing, trying to find an exit, trying   
to escape the shattered walls, oozing with anarchy. Lurid, green letters flashed past his   
face, growing large and more numerous with each passing second.   
  
There was a sudden roar. The entire existence: the naked, destructive part of   
the exposed Game was screaming a challenge at the Game King. The noise grew   
louder and sharper until Yu-gi-oh could feel his ears literally bleed from its intensity.   
It was an unbearable noise, speaking of agony, pain, death, and desire.  
  
The shadow of the beast – it was returning again!  
  
The Game King gritted his teeth, continuing to run. Some of the chaos tried to   
suck his body in, but he agilely leapt out of the way, always desperately looking for   
any shelter of fabricated Reality. This Reality was his – he had to control it before it   
disappeared altogether!   
  
But it was too late. Nothing could stop the impending chaos, the black hole of   
the Game that was just seconds from consuming him entirely. _It_ controlled   
everything.   
  
He suddenly halted.  
  
The Game King was never a great believer in ironies, and now, he regarded it   
in a confused, suspicious manner. Seated only a few meters away was a glimmering   
silver barrier that even the corroding layers of the Game and the fabric of dark Reality   
could not touch. That was it – that was the true gate to the living world, the _real_   
Reality.   
  
But it was impossible to reach. There lay, between this heavenly gate and his   
current position a large chasm of chaos. It was a sizzling, crackling mass of green-  
tinted computer language, the basic, uniform pattern of the Game's bare face. The   
Game King recoiled from its touch – he could not exist without a fabricated Reality to   
tread on. How was he supposed to get across and escape without being sucked up by   
the limitless chaos of the Game?  
  
Moreover, he knew that _it_ was still after him. _It_ had come quickly; he had   
seen it twice already, both times in the guise of a large winged beast. _It_ was the one   
that had seized control of the Game, breaking all Realities, thriving on this oozing   
chaos. _It_ was looking for him.   
  
Around him, the corroded walls of the exposed Game swirled in green-tinted   
eddies, threatening to swallow him up. True, he might be safe in his small patch of   
created Reality, but it was shrinking by the second, quickly fading into its actual,   
deleterious substance.   
  
He was trapped. There was nowhere to run, and he could not even touch the   
exit, for fear of being swallowed up by the chasm of the Game's naked data. He   
would be pulled by the Game in all corners, ripped into a million pieces and scattered   
as bits of data, just like the Ascotti numbers floating around the space.   
  
The last bits of Reality were disappearing, fading and scattering back into   
numerical bits of data. They were so easily and efficiently consumed, just like how   
the Game King would be when the bare face of the Game touched him.   
  
He cast a vain look at the silvery barrier, heart thumping with apprehension.   
One second later, he was sprinting, forcing his legs to move against the pools of chaos   
pressing against him. He could feel his body weaken, the bits of cluttered data from   
the Game trying to rip his fabricated self and scatter it into fragments. Green and   
black flashed in a blur around him, swirling in a dizzying pattern of anarchy.   
  
The raw, unfabricated Game cluttered hungrily around him. Different piles of   
data pushed and pulled, tugging at his flesh, forcing his limbs to submission. It was as   
if the Ascotti had separated from their background to come alive into a writhing army   
of runes to claw and tear chunk of his flesh for themselves.   
  
The Game King wanted to yell, to scream from the unbearable pain. A million   
daggers were being struck into his body, extracting themselves with a slow,   
unbearable agony. He was paralysed; unable to move, think, or react as the glowing   
runes of the Game slowly digested him, consumed him, making him its own.   
  
He knew _it_ was watching; screeching in satisfaction as the chaos first   
consumed his feet, then legs, then chest. The raw data had a voracious appetite, never   
stopping its consumption, ruthless. A wave of trepidation crossed the Game King's   
mind even through the roiling masses of pain. Everything had been in vain. Nothing   
could stop against _it's_ infinite power. It would only be moments before-  
  
***********  
  
Yuugi snapped his eyes open.   
  
There was nothing around him but an unsteady silence, soon joined by a   
monotonous humming that seemed to vibrate the very air. He looked around, taking in   
excessive gasps of air, one hand pressed to his sweat-drenched shirt.   
  
More trickles of sweat dribbled down the side of his forehead; he could feel   
his dampened hair pressing against the back of his neck, tingling to the touch.   
  
Finally reassured that the darkness around him was nothing but just darkness,   
the small boy sighed, collapsing back onto his bed.   
  
He immediately jolted back up.  
  
Wait! Where was he? This fabric – it wasn't straw, but a strange, foreign   
material. It felt smooth and unnaturally even, rustling slightly as he moved it.   
  
What had happened?  
  
There was a dull roaring in his ears, not from any external source. He could   
still taste some of the remnants of fear, the remainder of it collecting intangibly in his   
mind, clouding his memories even more.   
  
A strand of thought momentarily passed his mind.   
  
The Game. He had seen part of the Game.   
  
He had… he had-  
  
A glimmer of light interrupted the boy's previous thought. Startled, he looked   
up, locking eyes with the source.   
  
It was a silvery barrier, slightly glowing. And for a single moment, he thought   
he saw himself reflected on the barrier, though it cast a faint glimmer that seemed to   
distort his figure. Had Yuugi continued staring, he might have seen his reflection   
glancing curiously at himself, regarding the boy with serious, crimson eyes.   
  
The Puzzle glowed some.   
  
  
********************************  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Interview with a Ryou (par Sam's request):  
  
Ryou: *walks in, looking around nervously before sitting down* Um.. hello.. I'm here   
to answer some questions about… *starts trailing off really quietly*  
  
Some omniscient voice: What? I can't hear you! Speak up!  
  
Ryou: *wince* Err.. okay… I'm here to answer questions about this fic. I think.   
  
Some omniscient voice: Good good. First, someone wants to know what that nagging   
voice in Yuugi's mind in chapter 3 was.  
  
Ryou: *confused, blank look* Uhm… a voice?   
  
Some omniscient voice: *thud!* It was _supposed_ to be the spirit within the Puzzle!  
  
Ryou: Really?   
  
Some omniscient voice: *sighs* Forget it. *grumbles* Okay, next question. Does   
Seto have a physical form?  
  
Ryou: *thinks to self* 'I've got a 50/50 chance, so might as well.' Uhm… no?  
  
Some omniscient voice: Hey! You're right! Do you know why?  
  
Ryou: *sweatdrop* No.  
  
Some omniscient voice: Well, it _might_ just be because Seto is a cyber-droid,   
meaning a created human that exists only within the Game. Kind of like a virtual   
human.  
  
Eevee muse: Zoo! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be   
WRITING the next chapter! *blinks* Where did you get that Ryou?  
  
Zoo: Hey! You just ruined my identity! *teary eyes* Now, I'll never be able to be an   
omniscient voice. My dream has been shattered! *lightning flashes dramatically in the   
background*  
  
Eevee muse: Ara, ara, go complain later. *drags Zoo off by the collar, using Zoo as a   
shield from the lightning.*  
  
Ryou: *winces as Zoo is scorched* I think I'll leave now…  
  
****************************************  
  
End notes:  
  
Finally, chapter 4 is done. I have decided that I _really_ need a beta reader. Geez   
-_-;;; even I can't understand what I was trying to write…   
  
Myst-Lady! You HAVE to write a Yu-gi-oh fanfiction!!!! PLEASE??? *begs on   
knees*  
  
"Perfect"?! o.O;;; Nice try XD. Thanks for the compliment, TAKFAE – it really does   
help me boost the little ego that I have.   
  
Shameless advertisement bit: If you like vampires, werewolves, or the supernatural,   
give "Scarlet Fangs" a read. I co-author in this fic with Fiery Charizard (an excellent   
authoress herself), though she is away right now. -_-;;; Just when I finished writing   
Chapter 6…  
  
Next time:   
-Yuugi meets back with Jounochi  
-An unexpected setback re-questions Yuugi's determination. 


	5. Entry 05

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I own whatever I want to own. End of story.   
  
YES! HE IS BEING DUBBED "MARIK", NOT "TERRENCE"!!! Well, at least in the captions he   
is. Praise the gods!!!!   
  
Oh! I wanted to say a major thanks to everyone who took enough time to add me to   
their favourites list (or this story, anyway). *Bows* Domo arigatou!  
  
**************************************  
  
Entry 0.5 (It's not a face, I tell you!)  
  
It had taken a while before Yuugi had mustered enough courage to even snap   
from his initial shock. He had remembered going into the room at the end of the   
corridor, to meet some "Seto Kaiba" entity, and entered a strange dimension called   
the Game. Everything else was a blurry mess. Nevertheless, he was where he started   
from, in the humming, buzzing lair just moments before he had heard Seto Kaiba's   
disembodied voice taunting him. This was where it had all started.   
  
The silvery barrier had intrigued the boy for a while, to the point where he   
tentatively brushed his fingers against the strange substance. His hands went right   
through, disappearing into the opaque-white fabric with a slight ripple. Startled, the   
boy withdrew his hand, backing away from the barrier while gazing uneasily at its   
surface. He could have sworn that his reflection was laughing at him.   
  
Yuugi turned around, scanning the room around him. Nothing had changed   
since he had left, well, nothing save the weird mirror-like barrier. And he definitely   
wasn't going to prod around _that_ anymore. A pang of guiltiness swept through the   
boy's chest as he thought of Jounochi and Anzu. Where were they now? Maybe, he   
was supposed to meet them outside, just like they had promised. In fact, they were   
probably waiting for him now.   
  
With a determined nod, though it looked quite ludicrous, nodding to oneself,   
Yuugi slipped out of the room, grabbing a torch on one side of the wall to help   
navigate him through the long, darkened hallway. The trek was just as foreboding,   
even more frightening now, due to the absence of company. Yuugi shuddered slightly,   
both hands clenched tightly to his torch. The firelight flickered and wavered around   
his features, bathing his face in a warm glow of yellow-orange light. He gulped   
slightly, placing hesitant feet in front of him, stopping at every few paces to nervously   
glance behind him. He was alone in the darkness, and unprotected. A million things   
could emerge from the shrouded walls and attack him, clawing at his face or   
swallowing him into an eternal pit.   
  
Yuugi took another few steps before fretfully looking behind him once more.   
Having given himself that much reassurance, the small boy continued his way down   
the wall, jerking uncomfortably like a wooden puppet. The hairs on the back of his   
neck prickled, some in sensitivity, some in anticipated fear.   
  
This corridor seemed different from the one he had entered. For one, it was   
much longer, and there was no longer a still waterway running parallel to the path.   
True, the cavernous corridor was still as damp and dark, but this one was jaggedly   
unkept and isolated, rather than trim and tidy like the previous. Having made these   
comparisons, Yuugi's mind searched for another topic to bide his time, and fear.   
  
At last, he saw it. There, at the very end, was a tiny pinprick of light. Slowly   
but surely, it grew into a molehill, and then a cavernous entrance. With a relieved   
sigh, Yuugi bounded towards the exit, rushing towards the light as fast as his legs   
could carry him.   
  
He hit the exit in a dazzling flash of pure white light and fresh air, the stunning   
sensations leaving the boy momentarily overwhelmed. He blinked several times,   
squinting to adjust to the light.   
  
The small boy was facing a grey-blue sky, still complete with ruined buildings   
and scattered remnants of strange monuments. Yuugi quickly stepped into the light,   
all too eager to get out from the frightening tunnel. Broken pieces of pavement and   
dust scattered and clunked whenever the boy's feet touched their territory, protesting   
in muffled clicks. Yuugi looked up, catching a glimpse of a lone creature flying in the   
sky. He had never seen anything like it: it was a large, grey-white bird, wingspan   
easily a meter in length.   
  
A slip of memory, freed by the bird's image, slipped from his mind's   
impenetrable wall of ignorance, releasing its meaning to the boy. The word made its   
way through his body until it echoed in his soul.   
  
"Albatross." Yuugi said the word out loud, "It is a bird of the divine, used to   
lead voyagers to their true destinations."  
  
As if hearing its name, the albatross spiralled downwards in a dizzying arc,   
stopping to wheel a few times over a location a few yards away from the boy. Then,   
the bird arched its long, curvaceous wings, flapping a few times before disappearing   
into the skies once more.   
  
Blinking a few times in momentary awe, the boy finally recovered, making his   
way towards the abatross's indication. The area had been barricaded somewhat by   
piles of debris, so that Yuugi had to climb over some of the larger pillars, slipping   
onto the ground at the other side with a soft thump. He dusted his pants before   
looking up. There, in front of him, was an underground staircase. The opening was   
inscribed onto the ground, the rest of it disappearing into the darkness below, always   
followed by the set of stairs.   
  
However, Yuugi recognized this opening. It was one of the hidden pathways   
to the Shelter; the very same one Anzu and Jounochi had shown him. With a   
determined nod, the small boy stepped inside, easing down the steps to retreat back   
into the darkness. This time, he was not worried. He knew that Jounochi and Anzu   
were waiting for him, inside the Shelter.   
  
********************************  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.   
  
His feet made sharp clicks against the solid stone tiles as they descended into   
the cavern below. Now, Yuugi could see a flicker of light ahead. It was not the   
brilliant, overwhelming glare of sunlight but a rather pale glimmer; green and   
somewhat sickly in tone. The boy timidly approached the entrance to the Shelter, feet   
slowing to a sluggish, tentative pace. He was slightly afraid of the others; the Hybrids   
as they were called. He was a human, the last of his species, feared and hated by   
some. Yuugi was not like them.   
  
Perhaps he should just leave. The others would never accept him; he was too   
different. A small sigh escaped the boy's lips. He simply did not belong here, Shelter   
or no Shelter.   
  
Yet, there was Jounochi and there was Anzu. He owed them so much, and   
now, could he really be reluctant to approach them?  
  
'It is better to face your fears than to hide them and be forever ignorant', a   
voice in his mind warned, oddly detached from the boy's main stream of thoughts.   
Yuugi couldn't help but agree. Taking a deep breath, the boy dared himself into the   
mouth of the cavern, forcing himself to walk into the Shelter and ignore the staring   
eyes of its inhabitants.   
  
There was no one.   
  
Yuugi blinked. He looked around, mind not registering at first. The entire   
Shelter, once alive with thousands of bustling individuals, moving like a sea of life,   
was completely desolate. It was as if a gigantic hand have swerved down to swoop   
upon the Shelter and rid it of its population in a single swipe.   
  
But now, it was more than obvious.   
  
Flames flickered and burned everywhere, some dancing in vulgar delight. The   
buildings were no better than ruins, newly devastated, but unnervingly similar to the   
ancient carnage outside. The pool of water had been upset, now a marble of black and   
ruby swirls, as the moss too was splattered in stains of ochre-crimson. Thick plumes   
of smoke wafted around the bundles of flames, touching the broken buildings as if   
confirming their loss.   
  
It was impossible.   
  
Yuugi blinked, rubbing his eyes, trying to clear his mind away from the horrid   
sight.   
  
The Shelter had been destroyed.   
  
Not just the Shelter itself but its thousands of inhabitants. They had been   
easily wiped out, smitten by a single, crushing blow, prospering city littered into a   
million broken pieces.   
  
And then, a startling panic gripped the boy's mind. It started as only a nagging   
subconscious reaction, though it soon grew into fear and then an intense trepidation.   
Jounochi and Anzu – they lived in the Shelter! They couldn't be-  
  
Yuugi cut off the last thought, breaking into a full-out run. Flashes of   
flickering crimson and yellow, blocked by darkness and grey rubble swerved around   
his vision, like a kaleidoscope of destruction.   
  
Several ragged figurines shot through his vision, but Yuugi ignored them.   
Only one objective burned in his mind.   
  
There, between two crumbling pillars swathed by a wreath of flames was a   
glint of golden fur.   
  
Yuugi's heart leapt, both in fear and excitement. "Jounochi!" The boy   
screamed, running towards the image. The golden head jerked at the sound, pointed   
ears prickling slightly in acute awareness.   
  
Yuugi sighed as he approached the blonde lycanthrope. Jounochi was safe! He   
eagerly ran towards the other, stopping short a few paces in front of the other.   
  
Jounochi's face had been shrouded by his long, rugged hair; back bent so that   
he kneeled on all fours. Now, for the first time during this encounter, the blonde   
Hybrid turned his downcast eyes towards the boy. They were bloodshot and sorrowful   
eyes, reflecting an indescribable anguish, coloured a dull, watery hazel.   
  
Yuugi recoiled in slight shock. This was not the Jounochi he had known. He   
remembered the happy, smiling, eagerly optimistic Hybrid, and compared it with the   
haunted face of this one. No, there was no relationship between this, this stranger, and   
his Jounochi.   
  
And yet, the other acknowledged the boy. "Yuugi." The tone sounded dull,   
zombie-like. "I-I…" Suddenly, Jounochi choked back a muffled sob, voice cracking   
with unrestrained emotion. His face contorted into what seemed like a feral grin,   
canines flashing wildly under the flickering flames. Yuugi knew better than that; it   
was not a smile but a grimace of absolute grief.   
  
Terror struck the boy's heart. The expression on the other's face, it was as if   
Jounochi had lost half his soul. And then, there was that other issue at hand…  
  
"Jounochi, where's Anzu?"  
  
Silence. That, and the light roaring flicker of flames.   
  
And Yuugi knew.   
  
There were many losses in life: shelter, security, belonging. Yet, to be   
suddenly robbed of one's past, to be stripped of one's childhood friendship and   
bonding – that was not a loss but a descent. Jounochi had descended into virulent   
despair. He had lost his childhood companion. He had lost Anzu.   
  
Yuugi felt a lump rise in his throat. His heart was pounding noisily inside his   
chest, and he could feel the tears dribble freely down his cheeks. It was true then:   
there was no denial about it. For a moment, the boy just stood there, face bathed in an   
expression of shock, letting the other's ragged sobs rise above his abstained silence.  
  
Finally, the boy spoke. "Who would do such a thing?" It was a simple enough   
question. "What did she ever do to deserve this?"  
  
Jounochii looked away. The blonde lycanthrope made no discernable answer,   
though he clenched his right fist angrily so that it began to shake. "Yuugi?"   
Jounochi's voice sought to overcome the sobs and trembling gasps. "Whatever you   
do-" He paused as his voice cracked slightly "-Never don't doubt yourself. You have   
to be strong."  
  
Yuugi heard the indirect message in the blonde lycantrhope's words, the   
accusation that burned in Jounochi's averted eyes. The small boy's shoulders sagged   
in defeat and pure guilt. Of course, it only made sense.   
  
His fault. His fault entirely. _It_ was after him; after his soul; after the spirit of   
the last human. Anzu had promised to protect him. It didn't take a genius to figure out   
the rest. The grief soon turned to bitterness, and then, a sense of loss.   
  
"I shouldn't have come here." Yuugi fought to keep his bitterness from   
showing. "If it weren't for me, none of this would have happened!" He could hear his   
nagging conscience swirl in his mind. He was guilty. He had done this. He had caused   
everything.   
  
Jounochi roughly wiped the tears from his eyes. The blonde lycanthrope saw   
the doubt and self-resentment in the other's expression. "Yuugi." Jounochi placed a   
familiar paw on the boy's shoulder, patting it slightly. He had to be strong for the   
boy's sake. "Don't blame yourself for something you didn't do. You are still our last   
hope; don't ever forget that."  
  
" A lot of good that did." Yuugi retorted, voice quavering in resentment. It   
was his fault. If only he had submitted to _it_ in the first place. Then, the others could   
have been saved, and nothing could have happened. If only he had known, if only he   
had realized the implications.   
  
"You know," Jounochi suddenly said, breaking Yuugi's pit of self-misery.   
"You're just playing the 'If Only' game."   
  
Yuugi looked up sharply. "What do you mean?" He breathed, slightly   
confused.   
  
Jounochi gave a sad smile. "The past is past, there is nothing you can do to   
change it. The 'If Only' game is very addicting; it has lured many under its trap. 'If   
only I had thought of this, then this would have never happened.' And the more 'if   
onlys' you create for yourself, the deeper your misery becomes, because you could   
have, but didn't, do any of them."  
  
Yuugi shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. Everything is my fault."  
  
Jounochi ignored the comment. He paused, swallowing a slight lump forming   
in his throat. "So, A-Anzu and I made up a new game. We called it the 'Because of'   
game. 'Because of this accident, I learned that I needed to be stronger. Because of this   
mistake, I learned that I needed to be wiser'."  
  
The small boy cocked his head questioningly. "I still don't understand." He   
stated rather plainly.   
  
"You don't need to understand." The blond lycanthrope shook his head, still   
smiling sadly. "It's already there."  
  
Yuugi watched the other pick himself up from the ruins, brushing the dust off   
his golden frame. The small boy quickly followed Jounochi, walking silently in his   
wake like a lost shadow. A small thought passed his mind for a fleeting moment.   
There was no doubting himself now.  
  
'Because of Anzu's sacrifice, I learned –'  
  
Flash. Twin, catlike eyes glowing in the darkness.  
  
Flash. A gentle aura, almost maternal in demeanour.  
  
Flash. Smiling. Laughing. Frolicking.   
  
'- I learned to never give up.'  
  
*********************************  
  
"Hey, Jounochi!"  
  
A voice roared amidst the flames. Yuugi looked up; a figure was waving in the   
distance, part of a larger crowd of Hybrids  
  
Jounochi blatantly ignored the voice, grabbing Yuugi's hand and suddenly   
speeding up his pace. The small boy stumbled slightly as he sought to match the steps   
of the other.   
  
"Jounochi!" The voice roared again, manifested with an obvious hint of   
irritation. "Get your carcass over here!"  
  
At last, the blonde lycanthrope stopped, turning to face the source of the voice   
with his blank, listless eyes. The voice belonged to another wolf-human, hair and fur a   
chestnut-brown sheen.   
  
"What do you want, Honda?" Jounochi's voice was bleak and dull, robbed of   
vigour. There was a slight tinge of irritation in the last word.   
  
The other Hybrid stood up, hobbling towards Jounochi and Yuugi. The brown-  
furred lycanthrope stopped to face Jounochi, amber eyes burning with uncontrollable   
rage. Yet, despite the other's anger, Jounochi remained stoic; almost dead to figure in   
front of him. The other Hybrids watched with equally livid faces, even in their   
distance away from the pair.   
  
Without warning, the brown-furred Hybrid shot his arm into the air, raking his   
claws deep into Jounochi's skin in a sideways sweep. Honda's, snout was bared in a   
half-snarl, tongue lolling as he took in deep, extended gasps of air. "You bastard!" He   
took a few more angry breaths before continuing. "Look what you did!"  
  
Jounochi said nothing. The blonde lycanthrope didn't even make a move to   
touch his bleeding face.   
  
Honda seemed to have noticed Yuugi for the first time. Suddenly, the brown-  
furred lycanthrope gave an enraged snarl, lunging towards the boy.   
  
Jounochi immediately struck the moving Hybrid, colliding with the other's   
path. Both figures fell to the ground, breaking into a series of fitful slashes and   
growls. Honda had his arms wrapped tightly around Jounochi's neck, trying to   
strangle the blonde lycanthrope. Jounochi thrashed wildly, snarling and twisting his   
head to break from the grip. The blonde-haired lycanthrope lashed out with his legs,   
claws gouging deeply into the Honda's flank. With a startled shriek, the brown-furred   
Hybrid let go, letting Jounochi drop to all fours.   
  
Both lycanthropes circled each other, fur bristling in rage and apprehension.   
Jounochi was the first to move, digging his feet onto the ground to charge at the other.   
The brown-furred Hybrid nimbly swerved to one side, tackling Jounochi and digging   
his canines into the blonde lycanthrope's neck.   
  
Jounochi howled in fury. He quickly rolled to one side to make the other lose   
his grip before locking the other into a lopsided bear-hug. The two lycanthropes hit   
the ground in a flash of gold and brown, rolling in the dirt and broken cement in   
barely discernable blurs of movement.   
  
Yuugi, too absorbed in watching the fight, didn't even have time to react as a   
pair of muscular arms grabbed him around the arms. The small boy was immediately   
hefted into the air, locked into the assailant's tight grasp. A coarse, grey-furred hand   
covered Yuugi's mouth, strangling his belated protests. Several other Hybrids circled   
the boy, tying him together with tight cords. The ropes bit harshly into Yuugi's   
exposed flesh, but the boy cries were no better than muffled gasps of air.   
  
Jounochi realized it all too late. The blonde-haired lycanthrope's eyes widened   
as he noticed the small, struggling figure of the boy being carried away by the other   
Hybrids. His moment of shock was rewarded with a stinging blow at his chest,   
momentarily knocking the air from the blonde Hybrid.   
  
"Yuugi!" Jounochi wheezed, now longer interested in his fight with Honda.   
He hastily tried to avoid the other Hybrid's blows, with varying levels of success. The   
brown-haired lycanthrope soon had Jounochi pinned to the ground, struggling   
helplessly.   
  
"Yuugi!" Jounochi screamed again. Another blow hit the blonde lycanthrope   
straight in the face, shooting a scatter of blinding white specks across his vision. He   
roared and snarled, vainly trying to struggle out of the other's grasp. From the corner   
of his eyes, he could see the other Hybrids taking away the boy, disappearing until   
they were specks of shadows in the darkness.   
  
"YUUGI!"  
  
This time, the blow knocked Jounochi unconscious.   
  
**********************  
  
Yuugi was tossed roughly to the ground. He was in a sealed room barricaded   
by large stone tiles, barely discernable under the murky darkness. It was slightly   
damp, and he could hear a slight drip-drop of water running along the sides of the   
walls.   
  
The metal door swung shut with a loud clang, locking the boy inside. Yuugi   
blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness, looking around with large violet   
eyes. He had been rough-handled and tossed around for quite a while until he had lost   
all sense of direction. Finally, after hours of semi-consciousness, the boy had arrived   
at his destination, to be cruelly locked up in this strange dungeon. His body was still   
tied, and he feebly struggled to undo the painful coils still rubbing against his skin.   
Some had grated into his flesh, now burying painfully into his open wounds every   
time he moved.   
  
"Hold still." A voice hissed beside Yuugi's ear.   
  
Yuugi jerked in shock. He winced momentarily as the coil around his neck   
roughly grazed his chin. "W-who are you?" The boy looked around, catching a   
glimpse of tattered clothing moving in the corner of his eyes.   
  
"I want to help you." The other voice replied. It was a smooth voice, soft and   
gentle. "Don't move, and I'll untie them."  
  
What did he have to lose? The boy grunted in acceptance, letting this   
anonymous figure work on his cords. At least, he wasn't alone. It made the small boy   
briefly wonder how this other figure had ended up being locked up just like him.   
Surely, this individual couldn't have upset the others that badly, to be locked up with   
a _human_. Yuugi bit his lip slightly. He wondered where the Hybrids had taken   
Jounochi, and if the blonde-haired lycanthrope would be okay.   
  
The ropes were beginning to relax and slowly uncoil. The other's fingers had   
amazing dexterity. A few seconds later, all the cords fell onto the ground with a small   
thump, leaving Yuugi free to stretch his stiff muscles.   
  
The boy winced from the cuts scattered across his body. He rubbed his sore   
wrists and ankles before turning thankfully towards the other.   
  
"Thank you." Yuugi began. His eyes could barely make out the outline of a   
slender figure, sporting a thick mane of snow-white hair.   
  
The other shrugged. "No problem." Said white-haired figure then turned   
around to face Yuugi. "It's not every day that I see anyone here. My name's Ryou, by   
the way."  
  
Yuugi opened his mouth to give his name. Now, his eyes had adjusted to the   
shadowy half-darkness, and he was able to make out some of the finer details of this   
figure standing in front of him.   
  
Ryou was dressed even shabbier than Yuugi, tattered clothes barely hiding   
noticeable scars and half-healed bruises running along his exposed skin. Yes, ivory-  
white skin, paler even than Yuugi's.   
  
Yuugi's mouth dropped before he was even able to speak.  
  
Ryou was a human.   
  
*************************************  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Malik Ishtar Show!  
  
Zoo: Heya there! Thanks for volunteering to host your very own question and answer   
session for me, Malik! You're so nice! ^_^  
  
Malik: -_-;;; Yeah right. *blatant glare* All right, Isis, if you did this to me, you're   
dead.   
  
*omniscient giggling is heard in the background*  
  
Malik: THAT'S IT! *starts making a mad run for the door*  
  
Zoo: *grabs Malik by the collar with her Magical Girl ™ Wand.* Hey! We're not   
done yet!  
  
Malik: *fumes* WHAT? What do you want me to do? *mutters something incoherent   
about rabid fangirls and stupid insert-the-author-with-the-character sections at the   
end*  
  
Zoo: *cue the innocent Rebecca-like giggling* Anyway, you're supposed to ask me   
questions about my last chapter of this fic.   
  
Malik: *mutters* Might as well get this over with. *takes out a random envelope   
package and reads the script* All right. First, how did "Yami" escape the Game?   
  
Zoo: o.O;;; You're not supposed to say its Yami! Oops ^^(). Anyway, I'm not telling   
you why… yet. It's part of the plot later on.   
  
Malik: *shrugs* Yeah. Whatever. Okay, next question. What happened in the ending   
of chapter 4?   
  
Zoo: -_-;;; Didn't you just say that? Yami was about to be consumed by _it_ but he   
was somehow miraculously rescued. The silvery barrier thing at the end was a dead   
giveaway, because it was the same barrier that Yami was trying to escape from inside   
the Game.   
  
Malik: *scrolls down the long list of questions* Does this thing ever end?  
  
Zoo: *oblivious to what Malik is addressing* Yes, my fic does end, thank you. I'm   
planning about nine chapters.   
  
Malik: And how does Yami figure this Game stuff out?   
  
Zoo: *opens mouth to say some wise comment* I dunno ^^().   
  
Malik: *facefault* Must be his dumb luck. I mean, who else could win against   
someone with a God card? *starts venting* Stupid Yami! Just because he's the main   
character doesn't mean that-  
  
Zoo: *scratches head* I never mentioned a God card in my fic. Though that's a good   
idea ^^V.   
  
*a gigantic sign that says "SPOILER ALERT" falls and squishes Zoo*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***********************************  
  
End notes:  
  
Whew! That was a long interview! I can't help it though – you guys give me a lot of   
tough questions ^^().   
  
I have seen the Matrix, Petite Hikari, though it was in Japan ^^() loooong story there….   
  
How did you know my master plan, Sailor Comet? (j/j) Thank you so much for pointing out that error - I guess I got caught up too much on Duel Monsters cards XD (I HAVE A RED EYES! WOO HOOO!!)   
  
Well, Bishiehuggler, *blushes* I too started my YGO writing career due to a particular YGO authoress I worshipped (Blinkblink-sama, for those curious). I even wrote fan-mail to her XD. Oh, a beta-reader is someone who pre-reads your fics for errors before it gets posted. My Eevee muse is supposed to do it …. buuut… ^^()  
  
o.O;;; Kenshin in miko outfits? *starry eyes* Send me a link, NC-san!   
  
And always, thanks ever so much for your reviews/feedback! I even enjoyed your  
flames about the first chapter ^^=  
  
*crackle FWOOSH!*   
  
Zoo: o.O YAHHH!!!!!! *runs away*  
  
Eevee muse: *is holding a flamethrower* COME BACK HERE! Look at all the   
errors you made!  
  
Next time:  
-Yuugi and Ryou plan an escape   
-Hybrids or _it_? Which one is truly the worse enemy?  
-Ryou is hiding something… something to do with the Game  
-Any character requests for the end portion? I'm all ears! 


	6. Entry 06

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh!  
  
GUESS WHAT?!??! You better believe it! I got myself a beta reader ^_^. Say hello   
to Petite Hikari everyone – she even lives in the same city I do! (@.@ it was totally   
by chance!)  
  
Petite Hikari: ^_^ Heya everyone~   
  
Random person: Hello, my name is Everyone ^_^  
  
Zoo & PH: o.O;;;;;  
  
Oh, and make sure to check out her fics too – she's got a very brilliant and   
succinct writing style~ In fact, this chapter wouldn't have passed if it weren't   
for her ^_^=  
  
~*~ Flashback ~*~  
  
*********************************  
  
Last time:   
  
"Yuugi's mouth dropped in mid-sentence.  
  
Ryou was a human."  
  
*******************************  
  
  
Entry 0.6   
  
  
Yuugi's mind was frozen in absolute shock. He tried to move his mouth, tried   
to make it work and form some intelligible sentence. Nothing came out. He   
simply did not know how to react.   
  
Ryou gave a sad smile, a curved quirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "I   
understand." He looked up, chestnut-brown eyes looking into Yuugi's amethyst   
ones for the first time. They quickly broke contact, averting shyly back onto the   
ground. "You wonder why I am here."  
  
Pause. A moment of silence.   
  
At last, Yuugi's paralysed mind began moving again. "Yes." He frowned,   
suddenly realizing the implications. "I mean, if you are-"  
  
"-It's not what you think." Ryou suddenly interrupted. Again, his submissive   
brown eyes sought the other's lavender ones for the briefest of seconds.  
"I-I'm not like you."  
  
Yuugi noticed how the last word was said in almost a tone of regret. A pang of   
sympathy swept through the boy's mind, his mouth suddenly dry. And then, that   
ominous question. "Then… what are you?"  
  
Strands of snow-white hair detached and slid over his amber-brown eyes.   
Slowly, Ryou pushed them away with a trembling finger. "I-I-" He began, lips   
mouthing silent words.  
  
Yuugi waited for the answer, but it never came. Instead, the other   
figure began backing away; eyes wide open in shock, muttering a string of   
incoherent words. Ryou's face had turned an even paler white, expression both   
surprised and haunted.  
  
"You!" Ryou suddenly blurted, "You're the one!"  
  
"What?" The small boy was confused. Hadn't Ryou just acknowledged Yuugi as   
a human? What was the other talking about?  
  
Ryou shuddered, again drawing close to Yuugi, though keeping a certain   
distance apart. "Listen." He muttered, voice suddenly low. "You have to leave   
here right now."  
  
The omniscient tone sparked a momentary memory from the boy's mind,   
though it was vague at best, presenting only a feeling of sickened nostalgia.   
Yuugi's heart began beating loudly, a blackened fear clutching at his chest.   
"W-why?" Surely, the Hybrids weren't _that_ angry at him.  
  
The pair's conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud bang from outside   
their dungeon. Seconds later, the heavy metallic door swung sharply open,   
revealing a massive Hybrid blocking the entrance. The shaggy bear-human strolled   
forward, glaring disdainfully at the two prisoners.   
  
Frightened by the towering presence of the Hybrid, Yuugi shrank backwards,   
faltering behind Ryou's still frame.   
  
"Get moving, you scum!" The Hybrid bellowed, low voice barely above a   
rumble. The bear-human lumbered forward, squinting his eyes to locate the two   
prisoners in the dungeon's shadowy darkness.   
  
Yuugi trembled at the demanding voice, scrunching his body to hide in   
the shadowy corners, hopefully out of sight. Just as the small boy was about to   
scurry even further backwards, he felt something soft tickle his face. Startled, Yuugi   
clasped his hands to his cheek, only to brush his fingers on someone else's skin.   
  
Ryou had shifted to Yuugi's side. However, the white-haired figure's   
intentions were pure. He bent his head towards Yuugi's ear, moving his   
lips in the slightest whisper. Some of Ryou's hair continued to brush lightly   
against Yuugi's face, causing the boy to involuntarily squirm.   
  
"Stay still." Ryou breathed, tone serious even in his barely audible whisper. It   
was quiet enough for both prisoners to hear the grunts, gasps, and footsteps of   
the bear-Hybrid. "Bear-Hybrids may be strong, but they cannot see very well."  
  
It did little to comfort Yuugi. Sooner or later, the small boy knew that he   
would be caught by the claws of the shaggy-furred Hybrid, unable to escape the   
beast's iron grip. It was just a matter of waiting before the inevitable.   
  
However, Ryou seemed to have other plans. The white-haired figure crept   
towards the bear-Hybrid in a half-crawl, cleverly mingling with the shadows to   
avoid being seen. Just as the Hybrid was inches away, Ryou sprang, blocking the   
Hybrid's line of vision with a triumphant shout.   
  
The Hybrid started slightly from the sound, reeling back in distilled shock. In   
that moment between shock and rage, Ryou struck, throwing a fistful of dirt into   
the bear-Hybrid's wide-open eyes. The grime spread like a swarm of wasps, creating a   
stinging cloud of dust before settling into their target.   
  
Immediately, the bear-Hybrid roared, claws furiously swiping at his eyes in an   
attempt to remove the dust and grit. The large bestial human began to thrash   
furiously, muttering a string of threats and enraged growls.   
  
Ryou grabbed Yuugi's wrist, breaking the boy's momentary trance. Startled,   
Yuugi followed the other's tugging grip, though his eyes never left the blinded   
bear-human's livid form. Now, they were dangerously close, squeezing through a sliver   
of space space unoccupied by the Hybrid's random, brusque swings. Ryou watched the   
bear-human's motion with keen, almost shrewd eyes, timing its steps   
perfectly. The white-haired figure quickly moved into action, dragging Yuugi   
almost forcefully along just as the bear-Hybrid blindly turned around. In a mad dash   
spurred by fear and hope, the pair lunged towards the still-open exit, slipping out the   
wide door in complete silence. Both fled down the dungeon hallway towards a set of   
stairs, never daring to look back.  
  
**********************************  
  
  
The staircase was long and winding, spiralling upwards in a seemingly never-  
ending cycle. Yuugi stopped, clutching his chest to control his harsh, ragged   
gasps while sucking in greedy lungfuls of air. Cold sweat clung around the boy's   
eyebrows, dribbling slowly down the sides of his face. Ryou, however, seemed unaffected,   
gazing at Yuugi with worried, almost impatient eyes.   
  
Exhausted, Yuugi dropped onto the stone stairs, sitting awkwardly on the steps   
with a relieved sigh. A part of the boy was still aware of his surroundings, of   
the need to escape this castle prison, and yet, that part seemed far away. What   
mattered now was rest: and it was comfortable here, sitting down, unharried and   
unworried.   
  
"Here." Ryou whispered, shyly offering a hand to the small boy. "We have to   
keep on going."  
  
Yuugi looked up, slightly startled. Slowly, the boy took the other's hand,   
clinging on tightly as Ryou pulled him from the ground. The white-haired   
figure's hand was smooth and soft to the touch, a perfect replica of human flesh.   
Again, Yuugi doubted Ryou's words. How could the other be anything _but_ human?  
  
Ryou quickly dropped his hand the moment Yuugi stood up, as if he had been   
holding an iron-hot prong. The white-haired figure then turned around with the   
same hastiness. "You ready to go now?" His voice sounded slightly mechanical.  
"We're almost there."  
  
Mutely, Yuugi nodded, leaning his hand against one side of the wall to   
stabilize his exhausted legs. Then, the pair began ascending again, in slow   
constant steps, often pausing several times to allow Yuugi some time to recover.   
  
It was on the sixth consecutive stop that Ryou began to fret. He snapped   
his head backwards, narrowing his eyes as if listening to a sound only he could   
hear. He inhaled sharply, muttering softly under his breath in a panicked   
undertone.   
  
Yuugi gazed at the other with startled, wide eyes. "W-what's wrong?" The   
boy whispered, scared.   
  
"They know we've escaped." Ryou replied, almost too calmly. "They're looking   
for us."  
  
Both figures simply exchanged glances before breaking into a hurried run,   
scrambling up the stairs as quietly as possible. Now, Yuugi could now hear the   
echoes of triumphant cries below him, several of them reverbrating up the stairs   
in haunting, segregated notes.   
  
"Wolf-hybrids." Ryou gasped in between strides. "They can smell our scent."  
  
However, Yuugi refused to be discouraged. "You said we're almost there,   
so I'm not going to give up yet."  
  
The white-haired figure seemed genuinely startled by the response, stopping to   
stare at Yuugi as if the boy had sprouted an extra limb. Then, Ryou broke into a   
soft smile, chuckling just slightly. "Of course." He muttered, more to himself than   
to Yuugi. "Yes. Of course."  
  
The shouts and cries below them were growing consistently louder, now   
complimented by the pounding of several footsteps. Yuugi and Ryou continued to   
climb, dashing wildly like rabbits fleeing a pack of hounds.   
  
In a mad burst of forced strength, the pair reached the very top of the stairs,   
shooting through the entrance into an elongated hallway. Without stopping to   
pause or consider directions, the pair sped down the hallway, blindly following   
the long cement path. A strand of artificial lights buzzed overhead, bathing   
their exhausted faces in a sickly white sheen, making their small figures appear   
no more than ghostly apparitions.   
  
It was the calm before the storm. Suddenly, a roar burst overhead, breaking the   
hurried silence into a frenzy of excitement. The triumphant bugle of victory   
scattered into a million hurried footsteps, shaking the once-still   
ground with rumbling tremours.   
  
Yuugi chanced a look behind him, locking eyes with the massive herd of   
Hybrids tailing after him. There was no denying the inevitable fear buzzing in   
his heart. They were advancing. They would catch him, imprison him, maim him apart,   
tear at him: a million conflicting fears were flashing in his frightened mind,  
unable to be soothed away.   
  
Ryou stopped. The white-haired figure simply halted, positioning himself  
between Yuugi and the advancing wave of angry Hybrids.   
  
Yuugi's eyes widened. "Ryou!" The small boy tugged at the other's   
firmly unmoving figure. "We have to get going!"  
  
Ryou simply shook his head. "We can't outrun them." He stated in perfect   
logic. "You have to go first. I'll- I'll catch up with you later."  
  
"No!" Yuugi stubbornly shook his head, suddenly abandoning his fear. "I'm   
not leaving if you aren't!"  
  
The white-haired figure didn't have time to argue back. The swarm of Hybrids had   
slowed down, ready to attack. At a closer range, the stampede of figures had   
dwindled to only a handful, sinewy and brawny figures of monstrous length. The leader  
of the group stood in the front, a wolf-Hybrid whose massive figure made Jounochi  
look like a puppy.   
  
The lead Hybrid bared his jaws, revealing layers of ivory-yellow incisors   
while the others prowled impatiently behind. Ryou flinched slightly under the   
scrutiny of the bestial Hybrid. The white-haired figure dared his eyes to lock   
onto the leader's glowing yellow ones.   
  
"You are the escapers?" the lead wolf-human mocked, coarse voice incredulous.   
"Just a pathetic handful of cubs?"  
  
Ryou remained silent. Behind him, Yuugi shifted uncomfortably, terrified, yet,   
unwilling to abandon Ryou.   
  
"Take them." The lead Hybrid ordered, sounding half bored. "The Emperor wants   
them."  
  
Two figures separated from the group, lumbering slowly towards the two escapers.   
One of them extended his arms, grabbing Ryou roughly by the shoulders as the other   
did the same to Yuugi. Defeated, Yuugi meekly allowed his captor to take him   
away, stumbling slightly as his captor shoved him roughly forward. The small boy   
tried to crane his neck to catch a glimpse of Ryou, but was prevented from   
moving in any direction.  
  
They were entering a large corridor now, surrounded by Hybrids in guard-like   
uniform, each one statuesque and regal. Yuugi felt his captor tugging at his   
wrists harder, forcing the boy to quicken his pace to avoid stumbling or   
falling. A gigantic set of iron-black doors stood waiting at the very end.   
Glittering jewels danced as beady eyes as part of the door's design, unfurling   
into the picture of a majestic beast. The leader of the group advanced towards   
the entrance to knock on its heavy, iron face.   
  
Yuugi had expected the inside to be as regal as the outside, perhaps laden with   
stone pillars and ivory carvings, swathed in surreal rows of guards. He was   
wrong.   
  
Behind the doors, there lay a single throne of pure black. Large, velvet drapes   
hung on each side of the throne, adding to the omniscient, almost solemn effect.   
Seated on the gigantic iron throne was a gaunt Hybrid, hair a pure silver, some   
of it veiling its eyes.   
  
"Emperor Pegasus," the group Hybrid leader proclaimed in a loud, official   
voice. "We have brought you the prisoners."  
  
Yuugi shifted uncomfortably. The boy didn't like this Pegasus Hybrid.   
Judging from the other's tense expression, Ryou didn't like him either.   
  
Pegasus lifted his head, staring at the group with a single unveiled eye. The   
Emperor's face appeared startlingly human under the light, a set of slightly   
pointed ears poking out from streams of hair the only betrayal of his origin.  
"Good," Pegasus murmured, sounding distracted. "I was waiting for them."  
  
The Emperor nodded, signalling for the others to close the doors behind him.   
Yuugi heard the heavy doors slide shut with a loud thud. He was trapped.   
  
Slowly, Pegasus slid from his throne, ambling towards the two prisoners. The   
silver-haired Hybrid glanced curiously at Ryou before setting his eyes on   
Yuugi's small form.   
  
Yuugi felt himself instinctively shrink back, intimidated by Pegasus's presence.   
Although the Emperor was by no means large or bulky, there was an air of power;   
of revulsion that Pegasus created just by looking.   
  
"Don't be scared of me," Pegasus murmured pleasantly, sliding a furless hand   
under Yuugi's chin to stroke the boy's cheek. The Emperor moved his head   
uncomfortably close to the boy, causing Yuugi to squirm and try to back away.   
"You see, I am actually quite friendly. Very friendly, in fact."  
  
Pegasus was now leaning into Yuugi, almost directly on top of the smaller boy.   
Yuugi could feel the other's breath slide on his chin and he whimpered, tears   
pooling in his eyes from fear. "S-stop it." Yuugi whispered, choking back a   
fearful sob. He tried to back away further, only to realize that one of the   
guards was holding him still.   
  
The silver-haired Hybrid paused, glancing amusedly at the boy. "Why are you   
frightened?" he honeyed voice cleverly covering a hidden malice. The Emperor   
watched Yuugi flinch as he neared his head against the boy's face.   
  
"You are my prisoner now," Pegasus whispered in Yuugi's ear. "I _own_ you."   
  
Tears were now streaming openly down the boy's cheeks. "P-please," Yuugi   
whispered hoarsely, desperately. "J-just leave me alone!"  
  
The Emperor simply blinked. "Very well," he stated, standing back agreeably. The   
silver-haired Hybrid then began to walk towards his throne, until he was   
standing beside it. "I guess I will just have to pick on someone else."  
  
Slowly and deliberately, Pegasus pushed back the thicket of curtains with one   
hand, revealing a shrouded figure inside. Yuugi's eyes widened as he gazed at   
the unveiled figure. A single word escaped his trembling lips.   
  
"Jounochi!"   
  
Jounochi was currently unconscious, body slumped to one side of the wall  
like a rag doll.   
  
And Pegasus grinned, enjoying the boy's fear. The silver-haired man watched   
Ryou tense in the corner of his eyes, perhaps analyzing the other figure. Then,   
his gaze shifted once again towards the _human_, the boy, Yuugi. The Emperor   
deliberately moved his hand to stroke Jounochi's back, entwining his fingers   
suggestively into the golden-haired Hybrid's hair.   
  
Pegasus giggled at Yuugi's growing revulsion. "He was being quite foolish, but   
now, he is making penance for his sins." The silver-haired Hybrid stated rather   
gleefully. "You see, he _enjoys_ being my slave."  
  
"Liar!" Yuugi screamed, unable to control his disgust and fear. "Jounochi would   
never obey anyone like you!"  
  
Pegasus's chuckle increased in intensity. "You don't get it do you?" The   
silver-haired Hybrid reveled in Yuugi's expression of bewilderment. "If it   
weren't for you, he would have been free. If you had never been here, then he   
wouldn't be my slave. You see, he was willing to sacrifice everything for you.   
He gave his life for you."  
  
"No!" Yuugi shook his head furiously, trying to block Pegasus's words. There was   
no way this stranger would know anything.  
  
"You know why Jounochi sacrificed himself?" Pegasus continued, voice accusing.   
"It's because you are _special_. He was just an ordinary Hybrid, but you are   
someone important. You _deserved_ to live, and he didn't."   
  
Yuugi wanted to disagree, wanted to deny it, but it struck the truth. Hadn't   
Jounochi said the same words; that the boy was unique and special?  
  
Pegasus gazed fondly at Jounochi's limp form, absently stroking the blonde   
Hybrid's matted fur. "I'm sure you wouldn't care what happened to Jounochi.   
After all, you are more important than him."  
  
The boy watched helpless as Pegasus lifted Jounochi's unconscious face with one   
hand, stroking the blonde Hybrid's lips with his thumb. The silver-haired Hybrid   
then bent over until his nose was buried in Jounochi's thick, blonde hair.   
Yuugi bit his lip, heart quivering with guilt. This wasn't right; it just   
_wasn't_!   
  
"Pegasus!" Yuugi finally choked out, "Y-you're right." He swallowed his anger,   
slumping his shoulders in defeat. "I'm not important. I-I'll be your slave." No,   
Jounochi did not deserve this; the other had risked life and limb to protect   
Yuugi. It was Yuugi's duty, as a friend, to do the same. "Just don't touch   
Jounochi."  
  
However, the Emperor simply shook his head in absconding fashion. "What makes   
you think that I want you, Yuugi? I find Jounochi here much more promising.   
After all, he _loves_ me." The silver-haired Hybrid's eyes were penetrating,   
demanding. "Why would I want someone who doesn't love me?"  
  
It had come to this. After all the promises, fighting, determination,   
sacrifices, Yuugi was left with this option. Utterly defeated, the boy bowed his   
head, eyes dull with submission. Slowly, he forced the words out, signalling his   
fate.   
"I do Pegasus. I-I-" Bile washed into the boy's mouth, but he slowly forced it   
down, "Love-"  
  
"-Don't!"  
  
Startled, Yuugi stopped, pausing to stare at Ryou's sudden outburst. Didn't the   
other see that he _had_ to do this, to save Jounochi?  
  
Ryou glared accusingly at Pegasus, all but radiating absolute hatred. His voice   
was a bitter venom, tainted with disgust "Pegasus, you are nothing but an   
Emperor of lies, hiding in your castle of traitors."  
  
Some of the guard Hybrids bristled in anger. Pegasus stopped them with a single   
raise of his hand. The silver-haired Hybrid seemed more amused than anything   
else, turning to slowly advance towards Ryou's restrained form.   
  
"…Interesting idea you have there, Ryou." The Emperor stated, smiling   
deceivingly. "Or, shall I call you…Seraph?"   
  
An audible gasp echoed throughout the room, followed by a profound silence. All   
pairs of eyes fixated on the white-haired figure with collective expressions of   
fear and awed surprise. Even Ryou's captor appeared unnerved, holding the white-  
haired figure with trembling arms.   
  
Yuugi was confused. What exactly was a Seraph? The other seemed harmless enough,   
tougher than himself though not nearly as powerful as the muscular Hybrids   
around him.  
  
"Yes, Ryou the Seraph." Pegasus repeated, enjoying the look of absolute pain and   
anger imprinted in the white-haired figure's eyes. "The Untalked about one, the   
feared one." The Emperor ambled casually towards Ryou, hautily, unlike   
the rest of the Hybrids. "It's hard to think that such an innocent face like   
yours would be willing to kill, to maim, to destroy so many. I wouldn't talk   
about deception if I were you."  
  
"It's not like that!" Ryou protested, though his voice sounded weak, too   
vulnerable to Pegasus's suggestions. Something in the white-haired figure's tone   
told Pegasus that he had struck a chord.   
  
"Of course," Pegasus mocked, "You can't help it. But you have to, don't you?   
Using Yuugi to feed your own life on, using an _innocent_ with false charm. Not   
unlike myself, don't you think?"  
  
Yuugi was completely lost. "Ryou?" The small boy pleaded towards the other.   
"What is he talking about?" But Ryou was no longer listening. The white-haired   
figure stared blankly at Pegasus, defeated, just like Yuugi had been.   
  
Pegasus continued walking until he was face-to-face with Ryou. "Think about it.   
We could be _allies_. The Emperor and the Seraph. We could rule armies, control   
both this reality and the Game."  
  
Ryou said nothing. The other continued to stare in muted silence as Pegasus   
spread his words of corruption.   
  
"In fact," the silver-Haired hybrid stated in a loud stage whisper, "we could   
overcome _it_. We could be the new _it_ and rule supreme."   
  
The white-haired figure's head hung limply as if he had fallen into a coma,   
thick, unruly bangs covering his eyes. Seconds later, he raised his head,  
eyes suddenly snapping open.  
  
Yuugi's gasped, recoiling slightly. Ryou's eyes were no longer a deep   
brown but a glowing, brilliant red.   
  
The white-haired Seraph's solemn expression split into a sadistic smirk. One   
second was all it took before the room around him burst into a tornado of   
flames.   
  
***************************************  
  
~*~   
  
"Grandpa!"  
  
A small, child's voice was screaming in the vortex of flames, flailing his limbs   
out helplessly against the sea of crimsons and brilliant yellows.  
  
"Grandpa!" The child's voice sobbed brokenly, breaking into a desperate screech.   
"Please help me!"  
  
The wall of fire was building in intensity, blues creeping into the dancing,   
burning, stinging, acrid light. The boy coughed, one small hand rubbing his   
face. His jagged crimson-black hair was stained with grime.   
  
"Grandpa! I need you!" That was the child's last cry before everything became   
covered in the flames.  
  
~*~  
  
Yuugi coughed, choking on the thick, stagnant air. He continued to hack   
forcefully, inhaling air in desperate gasps between convulsions. The boy's eyes   
stung from the cloud of thick smoke, tears trickling down his eyes in reaction   
to the brilliant, vibrant flames.   
  
The room had been entirely decimated: the pillars, carpets, chairs and statues   
were broken into mere pieces of rubble. In between the flashes of fire lay   
burning bodies. Some still twitched convulsively, robbed of their promised eternal   
slumber, blind eyes frozen in permanent terror.   
  
He stood in the center of the carnage, laughing crudely, feeding off the   
destruction around him. The angelic snow-white hair bristled out at sharp   
angles, heightening his demonic appearance. And he- the figure, the Seraph-   
continued to laugh, ruby-red eyes flashing in anticipation. In one of his hands   
was a lifeless head, decorated with a long mane of silver hair. The Seraph   
raised his hand, clenching his fingers to squeeze the decapitated head, watching   
with sadistic amusement as crimson liquid oozed out of the severed head's neck   
to dribble through his fingers onto the ground. Then, he simply discarded it   
like an over-used toy, bringing his hand towards his face to lick off the stains   
with a rough tongue, eyes narrowed in laughter.   
  
Yuugi shuddered, resisting the sudden urge to vomit. It was a sickening sight;   
the flames mixed with fresh blood, fuelling the scent of spilt guts and organs.   
Yet, he had to make the best of it, had to escape this vile nightmare and solve   
the net of confusion. A flash of gold caught the boy's sight, the colour offset   
from the regular stain of red. Yuugi quickly scurried on his knees towards the   
figure, kneeling down to stroke its unconscious head.   
  
"Jounochi." Yuugi whispered to the sleeping figure, grateful that his friend had   
been hidden away from the disaster. "Please wake up." The boy winced as he heard   
the background jarring of disjointed bones, refusing to acknowledge the scene.   
He then tugged at the blonde Hybrid's ears, pinching it to try and awaken the   
sleeping figure.   
  
Almost miraculously, Jounochi began to stir, groaning slightly as if half-  
drugged. The blonde-Hybrid slowly opened his eyes, shielding them against the   
bright light with a weakened hand. "Yuugi?" Jounochi slurred, incredulous, yet   
hopeful. "Is that you?"  
  
Numbly, Yuugi nodded, hugging the other fiercely. "Jounochi! You're okay!" With   
those few words of relief, the boy began to break down, snivelling quietly under   
the gold-haired Hybrid's arms. "I-I can't stop him!" The boy began, stuttering   
uncontrollably.  
  
It was then that Jounochi decided to look up. The blonde-hybrid stared wide-eyed   
at the scene of mutilated carnage, looking around in confusion until his eyes   
finally fell on the single figure dancing in its midst. With a sharp intake of   
breath, Jounochi stiffened, barely intelligible words escaping from his   
nerveless lips.   
  
"Seraph!"  
  
As if hearing its title, the now-demonic Seraph turned around, locking eyes with   
Jounochi. The Seraph chuckled lowly, running his tongue along his sharp eyeteeth   
in anticipation. "Well, I seemed to have missed some." A sneer played on the   
white-haired demon's lips, distorting the once-gentle face. Even the voice   
sounded offset, uncannily foreign and harsh. Yuugi shuddered as he felt the   
white-haired figure's eyes fall on his form. The boy shook his head to loosen   
the tears of frustration pooling around his eyes.   
  
"Ryou, _why_ are you doing this?" His voice rose and fell in trembling   
crescendos.   
  
For a moment, the white-haired figure stiffened, face almost troubled, eyes   
eyes momentarily clear of dark ferocity Then, like an illusion, the expression   
disappeared, to be replaced with a malicious, smug expression. "Simple, little   
Yuugi Mutou. I'm not Ryou."  
  
Even through his moment of fear, Jounochi sought to protect Yuugi, shielding the   
boy away from the white-haired figure's sight. "Don't you know what he is,   
Yuugi?" Slowly, the boy shook his head. His mind was swimming with absolute   
confusion, unsure of what to expect.   
  
"Your friend, Ryou, as you called him, is a _Seraph_, a fallen angel." Jounochi   
explained curtly, eyes never leaving the white-haired figure's impatient form.   
"He is _it's_ spy; the last of his kind, chained to _it's_ will for eternity."  
  
But Yuugi still did not understand. The boy poked his head around Jounochi's   
protective stance, daring to face Ryou once again. "Ryou! You said that you   
wanted to escape. We can still do that. Just-just stop it."  
  
The white-haired Seraph listened with dull amusement. "You assume a lot, little   
Yuugi." He gave another deceitful half-smirk, chuckling darkly. "Why don't you   
come and play a Game with me? Maybe if you play you will understand."  
  
Yuugi's eyes widened at the mention of the word. He couldn't remember exactly   
what the 'Game' was, but it struck a note of apprehension in his mind, reminding   
him of something vague; a large, unexplainable, fearful mass.   
  
"Leave him alone!" Jounochi roared. In a fury of rage, the blonde-Hybrid charged   
towards the Seraph, claws outstretched in an attempt to maim the other with his   
bare hands.   
  
The white-haired figure looked at Jounochi with amusement. The Seraph simply   
extended his arm, pointing a hand straight at the blonde Hybrid. In a surreal   
display of power, Jounochi's charging form was frozen on the spot, quivering   
muscles unable to budge an inch.  
  
'Ryou' grinned. "_It_ commands power," he chanted, as if it was the most obvious   
comment in the world. "And those who oppose it shall love _it_, even after death."  
  
"Bastard!" Jounochi growled between clenched teeth, struggling in vain to move.   
The blonde Hybrid was absolutely powerless under the Seraph's control; and yet,   
he stubbornly refused to give up. "_It_ does nothing but kill and corrupt you.   
I would never love _it_ willingly."  
  
With a slight shrug, the Seraph dropped his arm, flicking his wrist to the side.   
Jounochi's form followed the action, swinging through the air by an invisible   
force to collide painfully with the stone wall.   
  
"Jounochi!" Yuugi ran towards the fallen Hybrid. The boy then angrily turned   
towards the white-haired figure, clenching his fists in determination. "I don't   
care who you say or think you are. In my eyes, you are still Ryou, not-not a   
pawn of _it_." Large violet eyes widened in determination. "I will not give up   
on you."  
  
"Such faithful words." The Seraph snickered. "But you have not been known for   
keeping promises. You have failed, and you will fail again. Just submit to_it_,   
Yuugi. _It_ will make life easier for you."  
  
The white-haired figure then cupped his hands into a circle, slowly spreading   
them outwards, palm up. Dazzling arcs of electric-white light shot across his   
palms, extending outwards until they formed a flat, oval shape. Slowly, the   
shape expanded until it was no longer an abstract outline but a large portal of   
darkness, ripping across the very fabric of reality with its abysmal, serrated   
edges.   
  
"I will be waiting for you, Yuugi Mutou." With a strange mock-bow, the white-  
haired Seraph began to fade, blending into the darkened shadows. Now, all the   
flames and carnage had disappeared into dull outlines, leaving only the strange   
portal in the middle.   
  
Yuugi stared at the opening, unsure of what to expect. Part of him was   
determined to go inside, to find Ryou, and challenge the Game. The other part   
just wanted to leave and never come back. Ryou's words had stung. The fact that   
the white-haired Seraph had expected Yuugi to make false promises, had mocked   
the other's confidence. The feeling of absolute worthlessness burned in the   
boy's mind, reinforcing his guilt.   
  
He would do it. He _had_ to do it.  
  
Jounochi was now standing again, limping in pained steps towards the boy. The   
blonde Hybrid opened his mouth to issue a warning.  
  
Yuugi simply shook his head. "Don't," was all the boy said. "I'm going in."  
  
And before the blonde-haired Hybrid could begin to react, Yuugi jumped through   
the portal into the darkened chasm within.   
  
He would play the Game to save Ryou. He would play to win Ryou's freedom.   
  
*************************************************  
  
Shadi's Psychic Hotline:  
  
Shadi: *wearing the "traditional" fortune-teller robes* I am _not_ doing this. This is debilitating for   
my personal confidence.   
  
Eevee muse: *is Shadi's turban* This is debilitating for _my_ health. -.-;;;  
  
Shadi: *shakes head* What does this Zoo person want with us anyway?  
  
Eevee muse: *glare* Well, the "exalted one" *shoots another glare* would like to have a few   
questions answered, in the psychic style.   
  
Shadi: Sorry, but I cannot use my Millennium Items for a cause that will not benefit the balance of   
the world.  
  
Eevee muse: *rolls eyes* Just make something up. They all do. Anyway, the glowing mystic ball   
has the script scrunched into it.  
  
Shadi: *squints and reads* 'This chapter served to answer most of the unanswerable questions there   
were in the last. No, Seto is not dead and will pop up in later chapters. Yes, Jounochi was once friends   
with Honda. And… the answer to everything else is fourty-two?'  
  
Eevee muse: *sweatdrop* Don't ask. It's a Zoo thing.   
  
Shadi: *narrows eyes* I sense some evil in this Zoo character. Perhaps I should investigate her   
mind and purge the evils lurking inside.   
  
Eevee muse: ^.^ Maybe you can clear out everything. Then, we could do whatever we wanted to!  
  
Zoo: *pops in* Guess what guys? I'm trying to write an original fic! Who knows – maybe one day   
I'll publish it! What do you guys- *notices Shadi and Eevee Muse's leery smiles* o.O;;; Erm…   
hello? *backs away nervously*  
  
Shadi and Eevee muse: *exchange glances and advance towards Zoo*  
  
Zoo: *laughs nervously* This isn't about the random thermometer in your cereal is it?  
  
Eevee muse: Oh, so it was _you_ who put it there!  
  
Shadi: *takes out Ankh* Let me investigate the evils within your mind!  
  
Zoo: *is officially freaked* RUNNNN!!!! MAD EEVEE MUSE AND EGYPTIAN ON THE LOOSE!   
  
Y. Malik: *pops out from some random corner* Hey! I resent that!  
  
****************************************  
  
End notes:  
  
Actually, Melinda, I don't plan on killing Jounochi or Bakura in the near future ^^=. I've developed   
a fond attachment to those two.   
  
Arigatou Bishiehuggler for you offer ^^=. Gomen that I found someone already, but if you want,   
I'll be glad to e-mail my fics to you before I post them. Just give me an e-mail first as a prod (I   
have REALLY bad short term memory and can't remember these things).  
  
You're right, NC, though 'Dark Duel Stories' is actually quite different from the English trading   
card game. For example, Curse of Dragon had an effect that changes the field to wasteland. And   
Lady of Faith could raise your LP's by 500! They seem to hover between both ideas in the TV   
show .o Confusing!  
  
Yeah, I have become somewhat akin to a duelling maniac (I hope this rubs off before I severely   
damage my pride ;P ). Well, gotta try my REBD/Mirror wall combo on someone ^^V. *runs away   
laughing insanely*   
  
And why the heck is Seto called "Seahorse" in Kanji? Maybe it's just a Chinese character thing   
^^()  
  
Next time:   
-Game time! Ryou versus Yuugi. Or is it…?  
-The first God Card makes its debut  
- A split in consciousness – Yami-Yuugi is revealed! 


	7. Entry 07

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, I would laugh. And laugh, and laugh, and   
laugh. And then proceed to get drunk.  
  
Sorry this chapter took so long, but I went on vacation, and then had LOADS of   
homework, and then got hit by a writer's block and had temporary amnesia ^^(). As a   
little apology to my lateness, I have attached review commentary at the end! It takes   
up more space than I prefer but that's okay ^^;;;  
  
NOTE: Do not flame me for Battle City plot inconsistency. This is an AU, and I   
changed around the ideas a bit so that I could squeeze out the major points from Battle   
City without creating more chapters. Yesh -_-;;; I'm very lazy...  
  
******************************************   
  
Last time:   
  
Yuugi simply shook his head. "Don't." Was all the boy said. "I'm going in."  
  
And before the blonde-haired Hybrid could even begin to react, Yuugi moved,   
jumping into the portal into the darkened chasm within.   
  
He would play the Game to save Ryou. He would play to win the slave of _it_   
freedom.   
  
**********************************************   
  
Section 0.7   
  
  
Yuugi found himself in a strange corridor consisting of two doors. The door to the left   
was partially open, revealing a child's play room littered with toys. The other was   
barred shut, a foreign eye decorating the center of its metallic surface.   
  
Then, he felt an even stranger sensation. His body was moving without his conscious   
consent. Yuugi, the one stranded inside the corridor, was no more than a spiritual   
essence, a projection of himself. The real body encompassed this entire area with just   
its mind.   
  
That meant one of two things. One, that Yuugi was no longer seated in his body's   
throne of consciousness and had been thrown elsewhere, into this plane of semi-  
consciousness resting at the back of his mind; two, that someone else was controlling   
his body.   
  
//There is nothing to fear, my little light. I am here to help you win this Game.// A   
whisper echoed throughout the corridor Yuugi sat in, determined but reassuring.   
//Watch if you want; surely you might learn something.//   
  
The corridor suddenly burst in a brilliant explosion of light, and Yuugi found himself   
staring through his eyes, though they moved intermittently and involuntarily. Slowly,   
his stream of consciousness flowed into his other senses and he was able to feel the   
dark surroundings, sense the cold, stagnant air, and breathe in excited, trembling   
gasps. But none of those actions were his; the boy, Yuugi, was simply a puppet inside   
his own body. Another presence was drawing the puppet's strings.   
  
The other-presence, the Game King, or simply 'Yami', was heading purposefully in   
one direction, plunging into the thicket of darkness with lengthy strides.   
  
Slowly but deliberately, the darkness around Yami began to waver, pierced by   
sizzling arcs of electric white light. Some of the crackling bolts trickled and centered   
around one spot before striking the ground in a massive streak of blue-tinged   
lightning. He narrowed his eyes as the artificial lightning progressively headed in his   
direction. With a horrendous roar, several jagged streaks rushed simultaneously up   
from the ground, forming a dazzling cage around Yami and engulfing his figure in   
harsh white light. Instead of fading, the bolts of electricity remained, effectively   
surrounding the Game King.   
  
"Seraph!" Yami shouted, his voice commanding even against the sizzling electric   
cage surrounding him. "Show yourself!"   
  
A low chuckle was heard in response to the challenge. The Game King squinted   
against the blinding light circling him as a figure unravelled itself from the dark mists.   
At least, it seemed to be mist that wrapped around the Seraph's form in feathery   
tendrils. A second glance told Yami otherwise.   
  
The Seraph's body seemed unaffected by the darkness, save the mist distorting the   
sides of his figure. The haze began to quiver and spread, parting wide open with a   
resounding whoosh.   
  
In place of what the Game King had thought was mist were layers upon layers of   
glistening ebony feathers edged with a soft outline. They rustled slightly.   
  
The demon Ryou Bakura, 'Dark-Bakura', gave a sly grin, snapping his outstretched   
wings behind his frame. It seemed almost ironic: a white haired angel bearing the   
wings of a demon. With deliberate slowness, Dark-Bakura extended a hand, snapping   
his fingers just once. Immediately, the cage of lightning around the Game King   
ceased to exist, dropping into the darkness once more.   
  
"I shall ask you only once more." The Seraph conjured a convincing smile, eyes   
glimmering shrewdly. "Will you join me?"   
  
The Game King's reply reflected Yuugi's own emotions. "Will _you_ join me?"   
  
Dark-Bakura scowled, angelic face demonically contorted. "I didn't come here to talk   
to a parrot." His dull red eyes flickered disdainfully at the other and he shrugged,   
indifferent. "_It_ would have treated you well, but I guess you'll just have to be   
eliminated. No use in keeping spoiled food on the table."  
  
Yami clenched his fist angrily. "The only spoiled food is you, Seraph! You spoke of a   
challenge to which I accept, or are you going to sit here and hope to shirk out of it?"  
  
The last comment seemed to have stung. The Seraph hissed angrily, snapping his   
wings open and gliding backwards in a single leap. He landed cat-like, white hair   
whipping around the sides of his face. "So, the Game King wants to play." The   
Seraph chuckled darkly, "You may be lucky, but _It_ will crush you like an insect. Or   
should I let my Man-Eater Bug do the rest of the speaking?"   
  
Only sheer instinct saved the Game King from being impaled. His eyes widened as a   
pair of deadly mandibles materialized beside his face in a space that held nothing   
mere seconds ago. However, he had been caught off guard and barely missed the   
creature's blunt claws, twisting his body awkwardly before falling onto his back.   
  
"Pathetic." Contempt was spread thickly on the Seraph's voice. "One turn, and you're   
already helpless on the floor. I had expected more from you, _Game King_."   
  
Yami's eyes narrowed. He closed his eyes, not even trembling as the gigantic monster   
towered above him and breathed heavily onto his face.   
  
The Millennium Puzzle suddenly flared into life, interrupting the moment with a   
brilliant eruption of golden beams. The Man-Eater bug instantly recoiled, screeching   
painfully in response to the searing light. It began to thrash wildly, claws rubbing its   
ruby-red eyes.   
  
Without even a second thought, the Game King moved, thrusting his arms outwards   
to call upon a monster of his own. From the shadows emerged the still form of the   
Dark Magician, dark-violet armour glistening a dull ebony. The almost-human   
monster bowed slightly towards its master before raising its staff and shattering the   
prone Man-Eater Bug into a million fragments.   
  
Before Yami could even consider a second attack, the Seraph struck again, unleashing   
spheres of darkened electricity from his extended hands. The Game King hastily   
dodged to one side. Some of the electric energy sizzled and travelled snake-like   
against the ground, coiling up Yami's legs before bursting in a stream of raw power.   
  
It was the Seraph's turn to laugh mockingly at the Game King's antics, occasionally   
flicking an electrified ball of energy at his target while watching the other stumble and   
run.   
  
Yuugi could feel the pain too, though it was more of a spiritual impact that tore at  
his disembodied soul. And yet, he was more confused than scared. //Why are you running?//   
His question was simple enough. //You still have the Dark Magician.//   
  
Yes, he had almost forgotten about his summoned monster. The Game King locked   
eyes with his Dark Magician, nodding before redirecting his attention at the Seraph.  
  
In a blur of black-violet light, the Dark Magician appeared, bracing its regal form in   
front of its master. The monster quickly raised its staff until it was level with the   
incoming projectile, its placid dull-violet eyes barely flickering as the attack hit its   
nearly-invisible barrier and disappeared.   
  
Angry, the Seraph continued to attack, building a stronger sphere each time. Again   
and again, the Dark Magician blocked it, staff firmly held to defend its master.   
  
"With no monsters to protect you." The Game King shook his head in disdain. "This   
Game is already over."   
  
The Seraph laughed. The white-haired demon threw back his head and roared, the   
tone too brusque and harsh to be called merry yet too lively to be considered   
desperate. Yami's eyes narrowed.   
  
"Yes." Dark-Bakura chuckled lowly, extending both arms and wingspan to their   
fullest. "Come and attack me, if you dare. I am a vulnerable target."   
  
The Game King simply shrugged. The sooner he won this Game, the better.   
That is, he would have attacked, had Yami not found himself suddenly restrained. He   
was simply paralysed on the spot, unable to move, as if his body were rebelling   
against him.   
  
//I won't let you hurt him.// It was the determined voice of the Game King's Light; the   
human Yuugi, the innocent Yuugi filled with a million morals and hopeless ideals.   
Yami mentally sighed at his other's stubbornness. /Yuugi, just let me finish this! After   
this-/   
  
//-No!// Yuugi interrupted in a desperate mental cry. //The _real_ Ryou's still there!   
You can't hurt him.//   
  
The Game King eyed the sneering, contemptuous face of the dark-winged Seraph. His   
eyes flickered from the fallen angel's jagged white hair to his cold ruby-brown eyes.   
/There is no Ryou left in him anymore. You were deceived./   
  
Yuugi recoiled from the other's message. How could this-this cold-hearted presence   
be anything like him? Didn't the other understand? The entire purpose of the Game   
was to save Ryou; nothing else mattered.   
  
By now, the Seraph was impatient. He cocked an amused head to one side, thrusting   
one palm outwards. With one twist of his hand, the shadows in front of him began to   
mould and shift until they bulged into the shape of a horrific zombie-like creature, its   
skulled head peering from the darkened ground. "If you won't attack, I will."   
  
The immediacy of the Seraph's attack caught Yuugi off-guard, giving Yami a slip of   
control once more. With a cry of command, he called upon his Dark Magician,   
ruthlessly destroying the monster. However, the Game King was far from done.   
"Dark Magician, attack the Seraph!"   
  
Immediately, the loyal monster complied, raising its ornate staff at the white-haired   
demon's prone figure. Arcs of pure violet light sizzled and cascaded from the   
monster's staff, wrapping around the Seraph in dancing coils of energy. Dark-Bakura   
soon dropped to his knees, grunting in pain from the force of the attack though his   
face was set in a stoic grimace.   
  
With a single wave of the Magician's staff, the electric-violet energy disappeared,   
leaving only the pained, panting form of the Seraph. The other looked absolutely   
pitiful, once-beautiful wings drooping at odd angles against the ground, one elbow   
propped up against the ground to support a face bathed in sweat and contorted with   
agony.   
  
Yuugi had gone silent now; though the Game King could feel tiny rivulets of pain and   
guilt stabbing his subconscious. He ignored the sensation and focused on the situation   
at hand. "Have you had enough, Seraph?"   
  
The Seraph seemed ready to collapse. The once proud form gave a slight shudder,   
body rigid, chest slowly rising and falling as if fighting for every breath. The raven-  
winged figure brought a hand to slowly part the hair away from his face, shifting his   
downcast eyes to gaze morosely at the other.   
  
A wave of doubt crossed Yami's features. How could the Seraph act so demonic and   
innocent? Was there another presence within the Seraph, just like how there was   
another presence inside the Game King? Was the Seraph's other presence the   
_human_ Ryou?  
  
"Ryou?" The Game King's voice was soft, almost child-like. "Is that really you?"   
Though he did not look directly up, the other seemed to react to his name, painfully   
shifting his knees to move a few excruciating steps towards the Game King. "Y-  
yuugi." The word parted from the white-haired figure's mouth in a bare whisper,   
followed by several heavy breaths. "I-it hurts."   
  
Compelled by personal guilt and vulnerability towards his Light Yami walked to the   
Seraph's side, kneeling down and placing a reassuring hand on the other's shoulders.   
The Game King noticed the other flinch a bit. He murmured a few reassuring words to   
ease the tension. "Tell me, where does it hurt? Maybe I can help you."   
  
"No you can't."   
  
The Game King was taken aback by those simple, direct words. He tried to look at the   
Seraph directly in the eyes, but plumes of tousled white hair shrouded Ryou's face.   
  
"Ryou," Yami was slightly impatient now. Apart from his guilt and Yuugi's concern,   
he could feel uneasiness creep into his mind. "Tell me exactly what hurts."   
  
"You." The locks of white-hair suddenly whipped back to reveal a pair of gleaming   
russet eyes.   
  
The Game King cursed, shoving the Seraph away from him before the   
other could attempt any full-out attack.   
  
The Seraph snarled in response, abandoning all posture to lunge towards the Game King in a blur   
of raven-black feathers and silvery-white hair. Startled by the sudden outburst, Yami   
found himself lying on the ground, hands trying to pry apart the choking grip the   
Seraph had around his neck. Already, the Game King found himself gagging, gasping   
weakly for needed air as his body continued to squirm and struggle under the weight   
of the other. Yet, the Seraph's hands were unnaturally powerful, clenched fingers not   
budging an inch from the Game King's neck.   
  
Desperate, Yami twisted sideways and thrust his foot forwards to deliver a powerful   
blow towards the Seraph's stomach. The Game King hissed painfully as Dark-Bakura   
raked his fingers down the sides of Yami's neck in an attempt to cling on. Another   
equally desperate kick and the Seraph finally let go, empty hands tainted with freshly   
spilt blood.   
  
"Bastard." The Game King pressed his hand against his wounded neck, feeling the   
warm liquid seep from between his fingers. Yami glared lividly at the Seraph,   
watching in revulsion as the white-haired figure began to lick his tainted digits. The   
blood-red eyes gleamed in predatory fascination as they glanced at the Game King.   
  
Yuugi had fallen silent, mind swimming in distrust and confusion. Had the entire   
scenario of escaping from the Hybrids and protecting each other in the human world   
just been a disguised lie? Or was there something else to this Game; something that   
changed Ryou just like it captured Yuugi?   
  
"Poor, poor Yuugi." The Seraph teased, pressing the Game King's vulnerability with   
precision. "And to think you could rescue Ryou. He's imprisoned now, a mere pawn   
under my command." Another deceptive smile crept into Dark-Bakura's _expression.   
  
A sudden rumble shook the darkened terrain, causing both the Game King and the   
Seraph to momentarily lose their balance. The rumble continued to grow, the very   
darkness around them shaking unsteadily.   
  
Yami whipped his head around in an attempt to locate the invisible source. Another   
lurch caught him off balance and he stumbled, faltering a few steps backwards.  
  
Dark-Bakura's eyes laughed. "Yes, it looks like my pet has finally come." He licked   
his lips in anticipation. Then, the Seraph thrust both arms out, fingers extended, face   
tilted upwards to stare at some vacant point of the black back-drop. "Come out-"   
  
The rest of the Seraph's sentence was drowned by a horrendous roar. The ground   
simply exploded into a whirling chaos of electric-yellow light, expanding outwards in   
hot, jagged streaks. Everywhere, the shaking and buckling increased as an enormous,   
ruby-encrusted head rose from the darkness of the ground, shooting upwards to reveal   
claws, wings, and finally a tail trailing after its long, lithe body.   
  
The Game King clambered onto his feet, fists clenched in determination. This   
enormous serpentine creature made the Blue Eyes White Dragon a mere child's toy in   
comparison. It sported a gargantuan head; a glistening blue jewel lay centered on its   
forehead, followed by two layers of teeth, one on top of the other like twin, jagged   
mouths. The monster roared again, showing off its massive size and collective rows of   
sharpened teeth. Red plates of armour shook against each other.   
  
Dark-Bakura simply laughed. He threw his head back and laughed, a chorus of harsh,   
victorious barks that stung the last of the Game King's pride. Finally, the Seraph   
stopped, sneering pointedly at his opponent. "So, Yu-gi-oh, you finally understand   
why I waited for so long. Yes, meet the Saint Dragon, God of Osiris!" Another chorus   
of maniacal laughter ensued. It was the laughter of the cruel, of the greedily   
victorious, and most of all, of those who betrayed their souls to obtain such dreams of   
power.   
  
There was nothing he could do and he knew it. The Game King was simply   
overpowered. After all the struggling, fighting, and internal conflicts, it had all come   
down to a sheer contest of power.   
  
"You see," the Seraph gloated over the expression of the other, "I would have offered   
you some pity, perhaps a last chance. But seeing that you never gave me such respect,   
I feel none for you. Indeed, what a waste of... pity."   
  
The Game King growled. "Demon! Just continue lying - I'll be damned if I ever   
listen to your poisonous words again."   
  
The Seraph narrowed his eyes, though they still gleamed with insanity. "Then die,   
Yu-gi-oh. Feel your every nerve and bone writhe with agony. And most of all, feel   
your _defeat_."   
  
Never to his knowledge had Yami ever heard of a summoned God monster. And yet,   
there it was, breathing and moving, a perfect piece of evidence shoved right before his   
eyes. In the few seconds that the Dragon God of Osiris powered its attack within its   
large jaw, the Game King wracked his mind for any last-minute strategies. There had   
to be something to counter the attack, but his mind brought nothing.   
Just as the crackling ball of electricity within the Dragon God's mouth expanded to its   
maximum, the Game King dropped to his knees. His eyes turned vacant, an empty   
hole of despair consuming his soul. He had _lost_. The Game had failed him. But   
most of all, he had inadvertently lied to his light, giving Yuugi false hope.   
  
//It's okay.//   
  
Yami's eyes widened. After all he had done, his light was still willing to accept him?   
  
//I-I don't blame you. It's all m-my fault anyway.// Yuugi's voice seemed more   
melancholy than regretful.   
  
/No, little light./ The Game King knew he couldn't fit his words within the time he   
had left. Instead, he sent out a burst of emotions: of reassurance, of acceptance, and of   
belonging to this one confused child. He felt Yuugi soaking up the emotions greedily,   
a wordless gratitude breaking through their spoken interaction.   
  
The blast of hot-yellow energy was almost there - it was only seconds now. With a   
nod, the Game King arched his back and tilted his chin in defiance, facing the attack   
with regal confidence. Just one moment of pain and it would be over. Just one   
moment...   
  
...But it never came.   
  
The Game King jerked in surprise as he felt something else hit the brunt of the attack.   
Though a twinge of pain ricocheted through his body, it was nowhere as painful as the   
actual force of the attack.   
  
Someone - or something else - was blocking the blast.   
  
Time seemed to drag its feet. Stunned, the Game King looked at where the attack had   
been suddenly intercepted. Mingled with the flashes of furious yellow was a stoic   
violet-armoured frame, dancing for a single second in the electrical flames before   
being ruthlessly torn asunder. And yet, the intense-energy attack would have   
continued had it only been the Dark Magician blocking it. In the place of the fallen   
monster stood a ghostly apparition, stocky and aged in appearance. The apparition's   
stance was that held by the Dark Magician only a moment ago, one arm outstretched   
and extended where a long rod might have been held.   
  
Just as the Dragon God's attack receded and finally died away, the faint figure gave   
the Game King a small, wizened smile, translucent violet eyes glimmering with   
reassurance. And then it too faded away, disappearing into the smoking remnants of   
the Dragon's powerful energy beam.   
  
It was hard to tell whether the Seraph or the Game King was more stunned. True,   
Dark-Bakura was the faster of the two to recover, eyes glowering with irritation and   
anger. He immediately thrust his attention back to his monster, calling it once again.   
"Just attack, Saint Dragon. He might have been lucky the first time, but there's no   
monster to protect him now!"   
  
Something had snapped within the Game King. It was the voice of a human child,   
crying a single word again and again. Yami paused, bewildered as he realized exactly   
who was calling. /You know who that...spirit was?/  
  
//Grandpa!// Yuugi continued his fervent mantra, oblivious to the other's question. //   
GRANDPA!// Flashes of memory began to flood his mind, each fragment bringing an   
image of the wizened figure. His grandfather smiling. His Grandfather holding him   
up, swinging him into the air.   
  
A box. His Grandfather holding a box. The aged human turned his solemn eyes   
towards Yuugi. "Play the Game." he said. "Play the Game and unlock this city's   
secret."   
  
Yuugi snapped from his reverie, waking up to the voice addressing him once more.   
//I-I don't understand. How can that be Grandpa? Grandpa is-// Even his thought was   
a hushed whisper //-gone.//   
  
The Game King noticed the subtle change in the last word, a plea to change a past   
already cast in stone. Indeed, if Yuugi's - his! - Grandfather was dead then what was   
the figure's presence doing here?  
  
And then, it clicked. The Dark Magician had died the same time Grandpa had   
appeared. Grandpa had been in the same posture as the Dark Magician.   
It was only too obvious now - the Blue Eyes White Dragon, the Apprentice Witch,   
even the destroyed Man-Eater Bug. The monsters that were summoned were not only   
powerful, they were obedient, intelligent, and protective. They had separate and often   
conflicting attitudes. What truly made the monster, like all the other monsters   
summoned in the Game, was its _soul_. Each monster contained the soul of a   
deceased individual; or perhaps one parted from the human world. Their bodies were   
simply shells, useless husks unworthy of their name.   
And even the almighty Saint Dragon God of Osiris was no more than a monster.   
  
Was this the afterlife? Was this what one had to expect: a Game plagued by constant   
revenge and bitterness, fighting one battle after another until a final rest?   
The Game King clenched his fists angrily, bearing his eyes straight at the Dragon. He   
continued to stare unflinching into the beast's glowing yellow eyes, even as the   
monster began creating another energy-induced attack.   
Activated by Yami's command once more, the Millennium Puzzle flared to life,   
glowing in golden radiance.   
  
"Dragon of Osiris!" the Game King shouted amidst the whirl of noise, chaos, and   
power. "Listen to me!"   
  
Though the Dragon now turned its gaze towards the diminutive figure of the Game   
King, it did not cease building its attack. The energy continued to crackle and expand   
within the beast's mouth.   
  
"Shut up!" the Seraph hissed as he realized what Yami was attempting to do. He   
beckoned the Dragon to attack, trying to block the Game King from his monster's line   
of vision.   
  
The Game King ignored the demon. "Saint Dragon, God of Osiris - listen to me!" he   
commanded once more, drawing the monster's full attention to his words. "I can set   
you _free_."   
  
The orb of energy within the monster's mouth disappeared. Silently, the Dragon   
shifted position, fierce eyes bearing down on Yami to judge the Game King, daring   
the other to back away.   
  
Seconds stretched their fingers towards infinity.   
  
In a startling gesture of humanity, the Dragon suddenly bowed its massive head. A   
single tear escaped from what would have been considered virulent yellow eyes. The   
monster's entire body collapsed, imposing form curled submissively. A small whine   
escaped the Dragon's mouth.   
  
The Seraph was livid. He advanced towards the Dragon, hissing angrily by its head.   
And yet, the monster made no motion to comply; simply lying in its prostrate   
position. Another tear fell.   
  
They could have been crocodile tears but Yami knew better. He could sense with his   
Millennium Puzzle the truly wearied soul of the Dragon, clawing at the confines of   
the Game for release. His Millennium Puzzle began to glow brighter, tendrils of   
golden light wrapping around the Dragon. There was a moment of almost unbearable   
pressure tugging at both the monster and Game King's souls, building in tension   
while the Puzzle continued to draw on more energy to overcome the barrier. Then,   
everything collapsed, heaving back with a sigh. The beast's fierce yellow eyes   
dimmed, staring into unfathomable emptiness.   
  
From the monster's shell escaped a translucent figure, soft white hair and doleful   
brown eyes a mirror image of the Seraph's. A soft smile touched the apparition's   
ghostly face and he gave a slow bow, dropping reverently to one knee. A pair of   
snowy-white wings arched from his back, spreading out around the figure's thin   
frame. With an experimental flex of his wings he leapt into the air, soaring slightly   
before his figure faded altogether.   
  
Silence. Dead, complete silence, interrupted by a cry of pure despair. The Game King   
watched as the once overconfident Seraph collapsed onto the ground with the grace of   
a broken rag doll.   
  
Yami was apprehensive at examining the other, lest the Seraph was still playing   
deceptive mind tricks. Moments, and then what seemed like hours passed by, and still   
the Seraph did not move from his fallen spot.   
  
At last, the Game King neared his opponent, watching the fallen Seraph warily   
through violet-red eyes. Dark-Bakura appeared almost dead; eyes a hollow brown,   
skin paler than ivory. Black feathers swirled in the dead air, curling like dried leaves   
against the Seraph's limp body. Only the demon's lips moved, murmuring incoherent   
babble in a hoarse voice.   
  
"Seraph." The Game King prodded his opponent with his foot. He recoiled slightly in   
disdain from contact with the other. "Seraph." He stated the name louder; shouting his   
authority. Another strangled cry escaped from Dark-Bakura's lips. Curious, the Game   
King knelt down to catch the Seraph's barely audible words.   
  
"Dead." Dark-Bakura laughed, cut off as he suddenly began choking. His body   
convulsed slightly, a trickle of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth down his   
chin.   
  
Wiping his mouth, the Seraph laboriously propped himself on his knees. A faint spark   
returned to his eyes once more. "Are you happy now? You defeated me, Yu-gi-oh.   
You have _won_." His arms began to buckle weakly, and he fell once more to the   
ground, shoulder painfully cracking against the surface. With every inch of effort, the   
Seraph forced his lips to move beyond his physical limitations. "You should laugh.   
I'm dying now."   
  
Yami winced slightly as the other's raspy laughs turned into violent coughs. He   
quickly averted his attention elsewhere as Dark-Bakura continued to cough,   
regurgitating clumps of dark-red blood. The crimson liquid began to pool around the   
Seraph, bathing half of his body scarlet and making him appear more satanic than   
pitiful.   
  
"Why?" The Game King forced his attention towards the other, eyes narrowed in   
disgust. "Why did you join _It_?"   
  
Another flicker of pride lit up in the Seraph's eyes. He stared at the Game King, blood   
dripping down his chin in thick rivulets, hands covered in the scarlet substance. "I   
wanted power. _It_ offered me power in exchange for Darkness."   
  
"You once had a Light." the Game King accused, remembering the soulful eyes of the   
half-transparent angel that swept on pure-white wings into nothingness. The image   
then became paralleled to Yuugi, and he quickly checked for the boy's presence   
before continuing in reassurance.   
  
"Power." The Seraph seemed unusually sedated, most likely due to the excess   
loss of blood. "I cannot refuse power. That is all I was created to do."   
  
An immense wave of pity swept through the Game King. So, this was the Seraph's   
final revelation. This creature, this creation of _It_, existed only to destroy. The dark-  
winged demon had no other purpose and was never taught otherwise.   
  
Yami turned away as the Seraph began to cough up blood once more. His eyes caught   
another faraway glint of red, dull and half-forgotten in the darkness. The Game King   
stared at the sight, taking in the entire picture before his mind formulated an daring   
plan. "Seraph." The Game King chose his words slowly. "_It_ has abandoned you.   
You will simply fade out of existence, unless you accept my aid. Though I might not   
be able to save your physical form, I might be able so rescue your soul."   
  
Dark-Bakura looked up, brown eyes consumed with an insatiable red hue. "Will I still   
have power?"   
  
Yami's eyes trailed back to the empty husk that once belonged to God of Osiris once   
more. He admired the beast's magnificent shell as his memory recalled the horrific   
flashes of terror and power the creature had inspired.   
  
"Yes. You will have plenty of power."   
  
  
  
*********************************  
  
Yami Bakura's Weather forecast:  
  
Yami Bakura: What the hell? One moment I 'm half dead, and then suddenly, I 'm   
forecasting the weather?  
  
Yami: -_-;; At least you're not the cameraman...  
  
Yami Bakura: Did anyone else besides the author get the ending anyway? It's just a   
piece of shi-  
  
Yami: Ah ah ah... *shakes head warningly* Mind your language.   
  
Yami Bakura: *starts swearing profanely* Hi! I'm the $#@*!%& weather man! I'm more   
superior than you so you can start running or I'll kick your a$-  
  
Yami: -THAT'S IT! _I'LL_ do the stupid forecasting! *Grabs Yami-Bakura's   
scrunched up little piece of paper and reads it* Hmmm.. it looks like Anzu is dead, as   
far as the real world goes. Zoo can't guarantee that for the Game, considering the   
twist of events, now that _dead_ people from the real world can become monsters -_-  
;;;   
  
Yami Bakura: *glares at Yami* Fine then! Keep the %*%# piece of paper! I'm off to   
find Malik before he starts off in the next chapter! *leaves*  
  
Yami: *rubs forehead* Remind me on why we had Yami Bakura do this in the first   
place? *mutters and tosses paper into wastebin before also making an exit*  
  
******************************************  
  
End notes:  
  
*Yawns* I'm going to take a well-deserved rest. Yeah, you kinda deserve some sleep   
when you start to wake up in the mornings and scream because there is a vampire   
staring at you from the mirror -_-;;;   
  
Next time:  
- Meet the two other God Cards!  
- _It_ is coming... to challenge Yami to the Game *dum dum dum duuuuuum!*  
- Chapter countdown: Two more chapters until the end!  
  
Review Commentary for chapter 6:  
  
TAFKAE: Erm, as far as I know, I'm not British ^_^(). The spelling is Canadian - of   
which I proudly am. Though, for those of you who get the inside joke, I can be   
considered a "banana" ^_~.   
  
Alecto-chan: Okay, okay - its Kaiba that means "Seahorse" then -_-;;; I just found it   
hilarious how Yami mentioned "Kaiba" five times in two pages in one of the manga (I   
think it was vol. 30)  
  
Sailor Comet: XD - keep in mind, my Eevee Muse if my source of inspiration, while   
Petite Hikari (I refuse to call her "my" beta, cause that makes it sound really   
egocentric) is more like a proofreader and advisor. They have completely different   
roles ^_~  
  
Lily-chan: I really wish I could publish something ^^;;;... but I'm just not _that_   
good. Oh! How was your vacation? Was it hot in Florida?  
  
Snare-chan: *cough* I hope I didn't offend your idyllic views on Yami-Bakura. As   
for the Seraph idea; obviously, Yami-Bakura is about everything _but_ an angel. ^^;;;  
  
Shenya: Well, I actually cried when I killed off Pegasus. Ah... *sniffle*... the   
sacrifices we have to go through... *grabs a tissue*  
  
Bishiehuggler: I guess Ryou is just a torture-able person, though for me, Yami Bakura   
does come very close ^-^  
  
M: ^^() Erm... thank you! I try, anyway!  
  
Jade j.j: Thanks for putting up with me so far! ^_^ I hope your fics have been coming   
along well too~~  
  
Rosz of the Angel: ^_^ And to think of all the horrible things you're doing to my ego!   
Good thing I have my very own ego-deflator at home -_-;;; *looks over to MASSIVE   
pile of homework*  
  
Myst-Lady: WAH! I haven't talked to you since forever! *clings on* You have to e-  
mail me sometime ^_^!  
  
Petite Hikari: Gah! It's a good thing I don't write answers to reviews all the time   
otherwise it takes up half as much space since all I do is blabber endlessly (like right   
now) @.@ Thanks for taking the extra time to edit this extremely painful chapter,   
and I can't thank you enough for sacrificing your precious time to help me! *teary   
eyes* 


	8. Entry 08

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh!  
  
Sam-chan did this wonderful fanart for this fic~ *is very happy* I really do envy her   
artistic talent --   
  
Unfortunately, PH-san was too busy to edit this chapter, so please try and ignore on   
my spelling errors and grammatical flaws. I really wanted to get it out ASAP, and I   
kinda used up my editing privileges in the past few weeks ^^;;;  
  
NOTE: There is a difference between the normal pronoun 'it', and _It_ (the enigmatic   
opponent we all love). _It_ is not 'it' (minus the brackets), okay?  
  
~*~ Slight reminisce or flashback ~*~  
//Yami to Yuugi//  
/Yuugi to Yami/  
  
*************************************  
Section 0.8  
"Yuugi! Yuugi!"  
  
His eyes slowly fluttered open. Something blurry was wavering in front of his   
vision.   
  
"Yuugi!" This time the familiar voice addressing the boy shook him roughly   
by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"  
  
His violet eyes focused enough to recognize the figure of a lean blonde-haired   
Hybrid. Yuugi's mouth began working seconds later. "J-Jounochi?"  
  
Yuugi suddenly felt himself being seized and held in a tight embrace. The   
blonde Hybrid was talking in a nonsensical babble of words, latching on to Yuugi like   
a last resort.   
  
The small boy smiled. He blinked back his tears. "I'm okay, Jounochi.   
Everything's okay."  
  
It wasn't. And somehow Jounochi knew.   
  
The blonde-haired Hybrid slowly released the small boy. His once-tense   
shoulders relaxed slightly. "You've been out for an hour. You had me-" Jounochi   
suddenly snapped his mouth shut.  
  
Yuugi cocked a questioning head towards the incomplete sentence. "Had you   
what, Jounochi?" It was then that the boy noticed for the first time his surroundings.   
He was in a dank underground cave. Moss and wet cement decorated his vision   
though most of it was coveted in shadows. The setting tickled the boy's memory but   
he failed to recognize it. "Where are we?"  
  
The blonde jerked his head nervously as if expecting anything to emerge from   
the corners. His face was set in a grim, determined frown much unlike his cheerful   
self. "Somewhere. Somewhere safe, for now." The blonde Hybrid bit his tongue from   
saying more.  
  
Yuugi sighed and rested his head by a nearby slab of cement. The cold texture   
felt familiar. He absently brushed a hand along the rough surface. "I know where we   
are." Revelation kicked in. "This is close to Seto's hideout. We're going back to find   
Seto, aren't we?" Deep violet eyes implored Jounochi's brown ones.   
  
The blonde visibly stiffened. He seemed to be debating with himself, but   
finally gave a curt nod. "Yes. This is the last place untouched by _It_."  
  
"The last?" Yuugi repeated. "Does that mean that there are no other   
survivors?"  
  
The boy's words had struck a nerve. Bowing his head in grief, Jounochi   
struggled to keep his tone level. "I-I don't know anymore Yuugi. I really don't   
know."   
  
"Correction." Another voice broke into the conversation. "You don't want to   
know."  
  
Startled Yuugi looked up. Facing him and Jounochi was none other than the   
enigmatic Seto. The small boy watched the blonde Hybrid recoil in surprise and then   
fear.   
  
"Who are you?" Jounochi questioned, no sign of hesitation left in his suddenly   
demanding voice. "Leave us alone!"  
  
Seto's stoic expression did not change. His eyes flickered towards Yuugi and   
then back at the defensive Jounochi. "You come sulking to my domain and you   
question who _I_ am?" The cyber-droid's words were covered in arrogance.   
  
Jounochi hissed. "Seto." The blonde Hybrid pulled Yuugi closer towards him.   
"What do you want?"  
  
The cyber-droid seemed to be contemplating on the value of Jounochi's   
questions. "The so-called entity you like to address as 'It' has recently taken an   
attraction to my sector." Seto stopped talking, eyes suddenly unfocusing. With   
alarming brevity, he turned to Yuugi. "Yuugi. Go into my lab and enter the Game.   
_It's_ only weakness is through the Game."  
  
The small boy was struck curious by that statement. Suspicion, then denial,   
started working in his mind. "How do you-"  
  
"You know where my lab is." Seto interrupted. The cyber-droid's succinct   
words carried unregistered amounts of tension. "Or would you rather be destroyed by   
_It's_ slaves?"  
  
For a few seconds, Yuugi just stared back into the cyber-droid's cobalt-blue   
eyes. The small boy wanted no more of this. He did not want to fight, and the entire   
battle to destroy _It_ suddenly seemed impossible. The small boy glanced hesitatingly   
back at Jounochi.   
  
"Get going!" Seto snapped irately. He signalled for Jounochi to stay. "We'll   
be waiting for you in the Game."  
  
Yuugi felt himself complying before his mind began working. He was running   
as fast as his legs could carry him down the wet, paved ground. Several times he   
slipped on some patches of moss and fell painfully to the ground. His entire body   
throbbed in pain, only adding to the growing fear building in his chest.   
  
He had reached the end of the corridor now.   
  
Now he rose his hands into the air, flailing his arms blindly in the darkness to   
look for the opening. His fingers fumbled over the crumbling wall's blunt edges.   
There seemed to be millions of eyes watching him from behind his back, but Yuugi   
ignored the sensation and continued to search. Desperation kicked in.   
  
Where was the lab? He had to find it!  
  
There! With a desperate yank, Yuugi pulled the door open, forcing his frame   
inside the hidden, desolate room. Without a second's afterthought he closed the door   
behind him, effectively sealing himself inside. Yuugi winced as layers of artificial   
lights suddenly burst from the ceiling. Rapidly blinking his eyes, he allowed himself   
to take a few tentative steps forwards. The linoleum ground echoed oddly in response   
to his footsteps.   
  
Eyes finally adjusted, Yuugi looked around the room. Large machines and   
wiry contraptions still plagued every corner. He brushed his fingers along a bird-like   
structure, feeling the cold metal bite against his skin.   
  
It was right in front of him. A shimmering, silvery projection stranded in the   
middle of the room. At first glance it seemed to be a distorted mirror, gigantic surface   
raised to a regal upright position.   
  
Yuugi tentatively neared the 'mirror' and frowned. He had seen this before. As   
if responding to his uncertainty, the boy's Millennium Puzzle began to glow with a   
soft golden light. In fact, the closer Yuugi approached this barrier the stronger his   
puzzle would react.  
  
Something hit the door with a loud thump. Startled, Yuugi shot his head   
towards the only exit within this room. More bangs and aggressive scratching ensued.   
  
A detached part of him wondered if it could be Seto or Jounochi.   
  
No. Seto had said that he would meet Yuugi in the Game.   
  
Wait! The boy's mind raced. Seto had said that he _and_ Jounochi would   
meet Yuugi in the Game. Yet it was impossible for a Hybrid to play the Game. Not   
unless…  
  
The door was bending dangerously now. Blunt black claws gouged from either   
sides of the entrance followed by a chorus of threatening growls. Some of the door's   
metallic surface was caving in, slowly but surely being ripped from its hinges.   
  
Yuugi focused his attention back to the silvery projection. The projection itself   
seemed almost like an entrance, and if his memory served him correct, was the portal   
to the Game. Yet did he dare enter?   
  
What did Yuugi have to loose? Jounochi, Seto, even Anzu and Bakura were in   
the Game. But Yuugi was the only human, the only true _survivor_ of this strange   
realm. The rest were his ghosts, mere shadows to his light.   
  
The metallic door snapped open with a horrendous creak. In a burst of fangs   
and gleaming eyes, the minions of _It_ swarmed the room, searching each and every   
of its corners.   
  
Some of them gave a disappointed howl.   
  
Yuugi had disappeared.   
  
****************************************  
  
The apparition appeared to him in a form nearly identical to himself. It sat   
suspended in the air of nothingness, arms crossed over his chest. //This will be our last   
battle, little light.//  
  
Yuugi's head jerked up in surprise. He did not question this other presence   
close beside him. /What do you mean, Yami?/ The boy paused. /You are Yami, aren't   
you?/  
  
The apparition gave a brief nod. //I didn't want to be the one to tell you this,   
but there is no true way you can win fighting _It_. If we win, we still lose.//  
  
/How? Are we destroyed afterwards?/  
  
//No.// Yami frowned. //At least, not you.//   
  
There was an uncomfortable silence.   
  
Even though he sensed that there was still an unfinished sentence hanging in   
the air, Yuugi decided not to press on it. The other's mood was ominous and solemn   
enough.   
  
The boy suddenly stood up, angry tears staining his eyes. /This isn't right! It   
can't just end like that! I'll- I'll stop fighting. We can just leave this place and-/ Yuugi   
stopped, shaking his head in denial, tears escaping into the air and falling like   
raindrops into the darkness.   
  
Yami broke the silence at last. He stood up, lowering himself from his   
elevated position to stand beside the smaller boy. Quietly he wrapped his arms around   
the boy's petite frame as a means of comfort. //It's okay. It'll all be okay. We'll win.//  
  
Yuugi looked up. /But you just said that-/  
  
//We'll win.// Yami's voice was harsher this time, as if denying any other   
truth.   
  
Yuugi said nothing.   
  
***********************************  
  
"_It_!"  
  
Yami stood alone in the darkness of the Game. He spread his arms out wide,   
twirling his exposed body in a deliberate circle. "Come out and fight me, _It_. This   
final Game is between you and me!"  
  
Silence.  
  
The darkness began to shift subtly at first. Faster and faster it moved until it   
was no longer darkness but an oozing mass of shadows. The dribbling mass roughly   
parted open to reveal its naked face inside, the massive network of bright green "0"s   
and "1"s littered against a black void.   
  
From the ruins of ascotti emerged a solitary figure. It was not an overly   
impressive figure but rather plain-looking and drab.   
  
Yami's eyes widened as this presence approached him. This figure looked like   
a human.   
  
The other, this clever manipulation of _It_ thrust out a perfectly normal-  
looking arm and sealed the bare Ascotti shut with the darkness. He turned his   
beautiful face towards Yami. Ruby-violet eyes glistened in pure malevolence. His   
skin was slightly tanned, flaunting a muscular, well-built frame bedecked in golden   
jewelry. Like Yami, his creamy soft-gold hair stood on jagged ends, the rest swinging   
behind him like a demonic crown.   
  
Yet what made him different was the single insignia burning on his forehead.   
It was the same symbol wrought on the Millennium Puzzle, gleaming an unrivalled   
gold.   
  
Yami assumed his offensive stance. "And you are _It_?" He kept his voice as   
stable as possible though his eyes narrowed dangerously.   
  
The other grinned madly. "_It_? Is that what they call me?" His deep baritone   
voice dripped with amusement. "How amusing, considering that I'm all but _it_." The   
very manipulator of the Game ran his tongue along his lips. "The darkness is hungry,   
Game King. Will you satisfy its hunger?"  
  
"Cut the drama." Yami remained impassive over the other's unusual attitude.   
"I've seen this trick used before and it wont work."  
  
_It_ threw his human head back in laughter. "Trick? You value me highly   
indeed, Game King." His face suddenly grew serious. "Then let us play. This is my   
Game and I will make you suffer every moment you stay in it."  
  
Yami said nothing. His mind was already working for a possible strategy   
against his opponent. Yes. _It_ was nothing more than an opponent.   
  
The other suddenly interrupted Yami before the Game King could make his   
first move. "Oh. Did I forget to tell you?." _It_ bared his teeth in a sadistic smile.   
"Summoned monsters can feel pain. Not just physical but also mental, perhaps   
enough to torture their poor souls into darkness."  
  
_It_ did not wait. He thrust his arms outwards to call upon his first creature.   
The darkness bulged in front of him in eager reply to his command, spewing out a   
bubble of blackened substance.  
  
Yami braced himself against the shifting monster. After a while, the Game   
King realized that the amorphous, bubble-like substance in front of him was the   
creature's actual shape. Slightly caught off guard, Yami found himself analyzing the   
possibilities. _It_ was no amateur, and the Game King could not figure out if this   
monster was a deliberate bait or simply more powerful than it seemed. He had no   
choice but to attack.   
  
"My first monster will be the-" Yami stopped. He could feel Yuugi's tension   
within him.   
  
_It_ smirked at the Game King's too-readable expression. "Yes, Game King.   
Which of your _friends_ will you sacrifice first? They didn't die after all; they still   
have a beautiful afterlife. But it turns out that you, the one whom they trust, will be   
the one to rip them from their heaven and put them in this purgatory." _It_ laughed   
loudly and harshly. "I will enjoy watching them writhe in hell."  
  
Yami closed his eyes and angrily clenched his fist. He couldn't let _It_   
overpower him with his words. Yet, the other was right; by summoning a monster, he   
would lock his friend's souls into this damned Game. And without a monster, he was   
absolutely helpless against the other.   
  
"Stuck?" _It_ taunted, licking his lips. "Let me help you decide. I wouldn't   
want the poor Game King's soul to be so tormented when we haven't even started."  
  
The next monster _It_ summoned was nowhere as ridiculous. Gigantic claws   
pried themselves outwards from the darkness to reveal an ebony armoured hide   
slithering and skittering on the ground. The creature's platelets of armour shook like   
dried bones in the silence. A single barbed tail lay poised over its lustrous back.   
  
Yami only had that much of a warning before the creature was on him,   
massive fore claws opening pincer-like to snap at his body. The Game King stumbled   
backwards, veering to one side to avoid the hideous monster's gaping mouth. The   
scorpion-like creature emitted a serious of displeased clicks before swinging its tail in   
a vicious arch. The tip of the barbed tip just barely missed Yami's prone form.   
  
The creature's tail snapped back to its regular position and it began scuttling   
again to get closer to the Game King. Yami simply narrowed his eyes and waited. His   
entire body was frozen in anticipation, muscles tense and ready. His sharp ruby eyes   
traced every second of the scorpion-like creature's movements.   
  
Just as anticipated, the creature drew back its tail and snapped it forward. It   
whistled sharply as it cut against the air. Yet instead of staggering backwards, the   
Game King quickly darted straight in front of the projectile. In that split-second   
timeframe deemed impossible in normal life, Yami grabbed the horrendous creature's   
tail with both hands and sprung into the air. The momentum of the stinger whipping   
forward allowed the Game King to thrust his body the opposite direction so that he   
flipped backwards over the creature. Yami landed awkwardly on his knees behind it.   
  
Instead of waiting for the beast to react, the Game King ran towards _It_ at   
full speed. He knew _It_ was the actual target. And this time, he did not hesitate to   
call out his monster.  
  
~*~  
  
Her radiant cerulean eyes glistened cat-like in the shadows. She grinned and   
held out her hand, her cropped chestnut hair swaying around her chin.   
  
"It's all right." She had said. "Remember what we promised? We'll come   
back for you, no matter what."  
  
~*~  
  
The Game King's monster looked human. In fact, if Yami hadn't summoned   
it, it could have passed as a human.   
  
She appeared unnaturally charming and sweet, bedecked in almost flamboyant   
shades of pink and sky blue. Her pointed hat drooped oddly to one side of her long   
strawberry-blonde hair, and she held a harmless-looking staff in one hand. The   
monster turned and winked at the Game King before assuming a battle stance.   
  
"Dark Magician Girl!" Yami spoke his words quickly before he lost the   
element of surprise. "Attack _It_ now!"  
  
In a fluid show of grace and obedience, the humanoid monster thrust her staff   
out at _It_'s prone form. Lancelets of black and soft violet energy arched and sizzled   
from her staff, bulging outwards in a circle straight at the targeted opponent.   
  
The attack was blocked before it could hit.   
  
Yami's eyes widened as he watched the blob-like creature protecting _It_   
burst from his Dark Magician Girl's attack. The pieces of the hapless monster   
splattered all over the ground in fat oozing puddles. They stood there, motionless for a   
while before vibrating back into life and collecting together again.  
  
_It_ threw back his head in laughter. He continued laughing much to Yami's   
anger. "That was rich! You actually thought that I would leave myself defenceless?"   
_It_ narrowed his eyes. "You shall make a great sacrifice indeed, Yu-gi-oh, when the   
darkness finally consumes you."  
  
A scuttling sound made the Game King's frustration short-lived. Yami   
whipped his head around just in time to make out the scorpion-beast's barbed tail.   
  
The Dark Magician Girl reacted immediately. In a small cry of anger, the   
human-like creature placed herself in front of the Game King, toy-like staff pointed   
threateningly at the scorpion monster. Her other hand gently nudged Yami away from   
the field of attack.   
  
There was a slight moment of tension before both creatures struck at once. The   
scorpion-creature hissed and shot its tail forward only to have it blocked by the Dark   
Magician Girl's energy-induced attack. Undaunted the scorpion-beast arched its tail   
again. Yet instead of aiming for its opponent's body, he twisted his tail-blade to one   
side and slapped the Dark Magician Girl's wand away from her hand. The small wand   
fell and skidded against the ground.   
  
Now the scorpion-beast launched its heavy form straight at its opponent   
without hesitation. Unable to defend with a magic-induced attack, the Dark Magician   
Girl held back the scorpion monster's claws with only her bare hands. There was not   
much she could do about her opponent's tail lurking dangerously beside her.   
  
Yami saw the defeat before his monster did. "Dark Magician Girl, come   
back!" He knew it was too late. His monster had no way to obey him.   
  
A couple of seconds was all it took for the tail-blade to penetrate the Dark   
Magician Girl's fragile neck. The scorpion creature twisted his tail to bury the stinger   
deeper into its opponents flesh, injecting as much venom as possible. Indignant at   
first, the Dark Magician Girl struggled, ignoring the rivulets of blood and oozing   
green venom pouring from the wound spider-like down her neck. She continued to   
struggle until the scorpion-beast withdrew its stinger and stabbed again and again all   
over her soft skin. Even with all the gashes and open cuts blemishing her delicate   
frame, she looked hauntingly gentle and reassuring. At last she gave a final shudder   
and closed her pained eyes shut.   
  
The Game King watched his Dark Magician Girl's body fall gracelessly to the   
ground. He watched it fade and disappear, leaving behind a translucent ghost.   
  
With one final wave and wink, the ghost too disappeared, scattering into wisps   
of nothingness.   
  
Yami didn't even bother screaming or shouting in rage. All that burned in his   
mind was the desire for revenge. His Millennium Puzzle glowed fiercely and the next   
monster came too him. A monster that echoed his anger for the parted girl tenfold.  
  
~*~  
  
  
His straggled blonde-hair fell in front of his eyes as he spoke. It was the voice   
of the angered but resigned. "So, A-Anzu and I made up a new game. We called it the   
'Because of' game. 'Because of this accident, I learned that I needed to be stronger.   
Because of this mistake, I learned that I needed to be wiser'."  
  
Yuugi hadn't understood back then.   
  
"You don't need to understand." He had shaken his head in response, still   
smiling sadly. "It's already there."  
  
~*~  
  
If pure, undiluted black could be personified, it would be this beast towering   
like a massive pillar of rage in front of the Game King.   
  
It was a dragon of ebony black, thin avian frame a stark contrast of the   
scorpion-beast's land-ridden body. The gigantic dragon spread out its sharp wings and   
shot into the air without a moment's hesitation.   
  
Yami didn't need to say anything. The dragon, this Red Eyes Black Dragon,   
already knew what to do. Its tormented heart sought this revenge.   
  
From its lustrous black jaws grew a sizeable ball of flame. It flared and   
throbbed in shades of deep red. With an unrestrained roar, the Game King's Dragon   
flung the fireball straight at the scorpion-beast. The creature of _It_ didn't even have   
time to screech before it was burned into pitiful ashes by the intense inferno of flames.   
  
The Game King stared intently into his Red Eyes Black Dragon's eyes.   
Crimson clashed upon crimson, and in that moment, the two souls hiding within their   
shells saw each other for what they really were. They exchanged a moment of grief,   
despair, and promise. And then they succumbed back to their shells.   
  
_It_ remained unperturbed at the Game King's livid rage. He laughed, tongue   
lolling out to trace along his teeth. "I can see Darkness within you, Game King. Its   
hungry, just like how mine is." _It_ twisted its hand forward and gestured for another   
monster. Nothing emerged from the shadows.   
  
The Game King looked around confused. He knew that if he directly attacked   
_It_, the bubble-like monster would just block it. But why did _It_ not play any   
offence monsters?  
  
"Be patient, Yu-gi-oh." _It_ closed his eyes. "It's coming. The one that will   
end this Game. Perhaps you were lucky enough in that Game with the cyber-droid to   
escape this God, but not this time."  
  
A flash of gold and glistening chrome echoed in the Game King's memory.   
Yami narrowed his eyes. He would finally encounter this God that had been chasing   
him in the horrendous scene after his duel with Seto. He would face the beast without   
the distractions of the Ascotti. This was _Its_ secret weapon and he would destroy it.  
  
…. With his own God.  
  
  
  
.To. be. continued…  
***************************************  
  
Rishid Says:  
  
Rishid: *is meditating* …..  
  
Zoo: *blinks* Are you going to say anything?  
  
Rishid: *still meditating* ……  
  
Zoo: Well, I guess that if I was renamed 'Odion' too, I would have nothing to say.   
Yes, poor Rishid. Always intensely loyal to Malik even to the extent of sacrificing his   
name.  
  
Rishid: *without looking up* Well it was either my name or my voice. I thought that   
a name would be better since you don't have to hear it the moment you open your   
mouth.  
  
Zoo: -_-;; Some loyalty…Anyway, you're supposed to say answer some questions via   
the reviews and then say some inspirational comment.   
  
Rishid: Yes, I am a bachelor. The sky is blue.   
  
Zoo: Not like that! *pauses* Heeeey… that _is_ very inspirational. *sits down to   
think about it* 'The sky is blue'…. Hmmm….   
  
Rishid: *leaves*  
  
Zoo: HEY! Wait! ;_; Who's going to do my little end comments? Oh… darn… *takes   
out paper* -_-;;; I don't even get paid for this…   
Okay, when a person 'dies', their soul is stranded in this nether-region.   
Sometimes their souls are used in the Game and then they… cease to exist. There is   
no heaven in this story (try not to fall for Y.Malik's words ;P).   
In chapter 6, Ryou was originally the God of Osiris. Yami ended up freeing   
him and he died for good. Yeah. ^^;;;  
And the 'again' part was implied that Yami can laugh triumphantly too. As for   
closing their eyes while concentrating – just some mental imagery XD  
  
*************************************  
  
End notes:  
  
I amazingly did this chapter in two sittings! Which can explain a lot of things -_-;;;  
  
And TAKFAE, a purple cow is the way of life. The banana thing is just a weird joke   
that people use where I live. You know, bananas are yellow on the outside and white   
on the inside? ^^;;;  
  
Next time:  
-God versus God, a final confrontation  
-Does _It_ have a Light?   
-Yuugi finally uncovers his shrouded memories, at a price…  
-Last chapter countdown! 


	9. Entry 09

Author's notes:  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh. If I did, you would probably see one episode per year ^^;;;  
  
Yay! The final end! Some of your were right in the aspect that I had written parts of chapter 9 before I posted chapter 8. Thus, I could get it out faster (and unfortunately without PH-san editing it)  
  
Eevee muse: And _who_ was it that gave you the inspiration?  
  
Zoo: -_-;; Must you always rub it into my face?  
  
~*~ Flashback/reminiscing ~*~  
  
***************************  
  
Last time:  
  
"A flash of gold and glistening chrome echoed in the Game King's memory. Yami narrowed his eyes. He would finally encounter this God that had been chasing him in the horrendous scene after his duel with Seto. He would face the beast without the distractions of the ascotti. This was _Its_ secret weapon and he would destroy it.  
  
.. With his own God."  
  
**************************  
  
".Rain dancer, the secret is not within your eyes But within my yearning and soulless husk."  
  
Section 0.9.  
  
The ground vibrated uncontrollably. It began to shake and clamour like an enraged beast, expanding outwards in dark waves.  
  
Yami swayed uneasily against the onslaught. Several times he faltered, dropping to his knees before forcing himself upright to brace against the buckling ground once more.  
  
His Red Eyes Black Dragon circled in terse arcs around him, wings snapped at odd angles by an invisible current. The ebony Dragon's red eyes were narrowed in anticipation and fear.  
  
The God was coming. _It's_ God was coming.  
  
The Game King felt his fists involuntarily clench together. He forced his head against the roaring gales of chaos and planted his feet firmly into the shuddering ground. He would not succumb to _It's_ fear.  
  
Everything was suddenly bleached of colour.  
  
It was as if a gigantic switch had been turned on, bathing the darkness in a flash of blinding light. Trickles of gold and dull copper danced in the stark-white air. They began to merge at a point, binding and shaping together until they formed a gigantic, coiled up ball of a pure golden-copper sheen.  
  
Yami brought a hand to his eyes to shade them from the intense glare. He could see the sphere of steel gold growing in the midst of the harsh light. It continued to expand and accumulate without ever loosing its perfect shape.  
  
The glare escaped back into the shadows with a soft sigh. Only the glistening copper-gold sphere was left. Invisible droplets of light bounced and reflected in facets off the sphere's geometric surface.  
  
That was it. No horrendous roar, flashing ruby eyes, or flexing of glistening wings. Just a round sphere of archaic-designed gold. It hovered like an ominous harbinger of destruction. The darkness flanking it only to emphasized its solitude.  
  
_It_ threw back his head and laughed at the sheer confusion written on the Game King's face. He continue to bark hysterically, tongue lolling out from one side of his mouth to taste his lips. At last he stopped. His burning violet-red eyes mocked Yami. "Come. There is nothing to fear." There was an unregistered amount of sadistic glee in his statement.  
  
The Game King veered away from _Its_ beckoning stance. Something was amiss. He could taste the terror lingering within this God, but it seemed unreal; hidden underneath its placate golden shell.  
  
It was all about illusions. Just like how the globular Revive Mud protecting _It_ had seemed harmless, this sphere was meant to deceive. This was a test to observe the Game King's judgement.  
  
Two could play at that game. Yami forced his muscles to relax, moulding his expression into one of regal confidence. He forced out a bark of derision. "So, this is your feared God? This punitive sphere of gold? You dare call yourself the master of the Game when your famed God is nothing but a round lump?"  
  
_It_ laughed. For a moment his face lost its solidity, lips and eyes stretching eerily into the darkness. "Yes, Game King. You are more powerful. Surely this shell of gold means nothing to you." _It_ raised his arms out in a sweeping motion towards his God. "Attack my God. That is, if you wish to win this Game."  
  
Yami hesitated. Sending his Red Eyes against a God would be sheer suicide. Somehow he had to continue his over-confident façade without risking any damage. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack the God from a distance."  
  
The ebony dragon arched its thin neck, tilting its head backwards. A sizeable ball of flame began to accumulate within his jaws. With a deft shake of its head, the dragon spat the fireball straight towards the God's spherical shape. The meteor-like projectile splattered harmlessly off the golden shell.  
  
"You'll have to get closer than that to do any damage." _It's_ voice was deadly calm. "In this form, my God's shell can only be penetrated by physical attacks."  
  
Yami caught _It's_ slight slip-up. _It_ has clearly said 'in this form', which meant that this spherical God hovering in the air was simply a cocoon in the stage of metamorphosis. The Game King clenched his fists. How long did he have before _It's_ God revealed its most powerful form?  
  
.How long could Yuugi stay with Jounochi before his friend parted for the last time? Just like how Yuugi had been the last human, Jounochi was the last Hybrid.  
  
The Red Eyes Black Dragon broke the hesitation. In a furious screech and sweep of its glistening ebony wings, the Game King's monster flew at point-blank range towards the spherical God. The dragon did not bother slowing his flight before ramming straight into the God and latching its thick claws onto the impenetrable golden shell. Eyes whirling with vehemence, the Red Eyes wrapped its entire frame around the spherical shape in attempt squeeze the God out from its hiding form. Upon seeing that this action was futile, it proceeded to gouge and dent the shell with its head and claws. Again and again it rammed the God, stirring a continuous barrage of grating screeches and dull-red sparks as metal clashed against metal.  
  
"Red Eyes Black Dragon." Yami tried to make himself heard amidst the noise.  
  
The dragon was too engrossed in his task to stop. The clamouring and furious banging continued.  
  
A small pit was working in the Game King's stomach as he noticed _It's_ triumphant expression from the corner of his eye. This was exactly what _It_ wanted.  
  
"Jounochi!" This time, Yami shouted both physically and mentally, exerting all power possible into this one command. "Stop it!"  
  
Immediately the Game King's monster stopped. It twisted its thin neck to stare at Yami. Comprehension flickered just momentarily through the dragon's eyes.  
  
And then it _hissed_ at Yami. The Red Eyes Black Dragon bristled its coiled body, claws and legs still entwined possessively around its spherical target. Its wings opened and furiously embraced the God's golden shell, as if hiding a treasure away from the Game King.  
  
Yami - no, Yuugi - was taken aback. This was not the Jounochi he had known. The true Jounochi was gentle, kind, and a loyal friend. This enraged, snapping, aggressive beast could not be Jounochi.  
  
Just like how the Game had changed Yuugi, it also infected Jounochi's mind. All of them, monsters, players, manipulators, were no more than puppets of the Game.  
  
The Red Eyes Black Dragon screeched yet another shrill feral cry before attempting to dig its rows of serrated ebony teeth into the God's metallic surface. It struggled with such power and beauty that for a moment the dragon seemed the victor.  
  
Dragons were only whimsical beasts of the imagination. They were no match for Gods.  
  
_It_ suddenly began to chant. The words were incoherent, a string of nonsensical, low syllables. Though the sound was barely above the level of silence, its haunting words seemed to reverberate throughout the entire expanse of the Game.  
  
The Red Eyes Black Dragon shrieked in blinded triumph as it saw the once impenetrable sphere part open. It paid no heed to the flowing words beckoning the God.  
  
The dragon scrabbled and pried at the shell, serpentine form clutching the statue of a leviathan. The Game King's monster shoved its eager claws into one of the many cracks forming on the sphere.  
  
Pure gold rays of light spilt from every crack. They merged into a slab of molten fire before engulfing the dragon's entire form, bathing its ebony armour pure white until it seemed void of shade and colour.  
  
The Dragon ceased to exist. Nothing was left of it save a wisp of defeat escaping from the flare of light. And that too disappeared.  
  
Yet instead of diminishing, the light grew in strength and intensity. Now the expanding, contorting sphere was alight with flames. They flickered in every shade of gold and white. Some danced erratically around the God's emerging, changing form.  
  
The Game King was forced to cover his eyes yet again. He knew he was vulnerable and exposed, but his reaction to the glare was involuntary. It was as if he was staring at the very face of the sun.  
  
More mechanical clicking and whirring was heard before the noise and light finally died down. Yami dared himself to look up at this God once more.  
  
The first thing the Game King saw were the eyes. They burned an uncontested red not with rage but with sheer energy. This newly emerged God raised its beak-like head, shaking its mane comprised only of metallic gold shingles. Its entire body was covered in them, making it seem more a contraption than a creation. Symmetric wings splayed out from either side of its golden-chrome shoulders.  
  
Yami stared at this golden beast. He forced himself to analyze it while his mind quavered in apprehension. True, his own God had uncontested power but not such limitless energy.  
  
"In the Game there are three uncontested Gods." _It_ spoke, body unmoving as his God descended beside him. The golden beast waited obediently for its master to finish talking. "Saint Dragon, the God of Osiris, ruler of power and ambition. The God of Obelisk, dominated by strength. And at last, my God of limitless energy, the God of Ra." The very manipulator of the Game locked eyes with Yami. "Come. Let us fight. This is a battle between Gods."  
  
The Game King staggered. So _It_ already knew about the Saint Dragon. His element of surprise had been turned to a disadvantage. Yet it only made sense. _It_ knew everything there was to know about the Game.  
  
The Game between him and _It_ was far from over, but Yami was already beginning to despair. Pitching two Gods blindly against each other relied purely on luck and chance. It was a gamble of stakes in which _It_ remained the more favourable. And did he dare put his faith in his own God? Or would Yami's God of Osiris disobey him like the Red Eyes Black Dragon?  
Better to try and fail than to do nothing at all. Gathering up the final dregs of his determination, the Game King glared squarely back into _It's_ malevolent eyes. "Of course."  
  
Yami felt it vibrating around him. The Saint Dragon was impatient, buckling in its dark confines in eagerness to lash out and destroy with its power. At last the Game King released this power, letting it flow into its true shape, letting the Millennium Puzzle solidify his God.  
  
The darkness poured and merged into grey mist. It formed a shadow of translucent pearl-white. With alarming brevity, its faint outline solidified and grew into massive red platelets. They travelled like water down its misty form to colour the entire beast in a uniform ruby and black shade.  
  
The newly summoned Saint Dragon, God of Osiris, stretched its coiled serpentine head and roared. Its jagged teeth quivered in anticipation as it turned its crimson eyes towards its opponent. _It's_ God, the God of Ra, was easily shrouded by the massive bulk of Osiris. That did nothing to ease the Game King's tension.  
  
The power of energy lay in potential. Even in its true form, the God of Ra seemed like a deceptive puppet. The puppeteer was still hiding something.  
  
The God of Osiris acted immediately. It cut through the stillness like lightning; massive bulk hurtling with unexpected agility straight towards its opponent. At the very last moment, the Dragon God sharply banked its wings upwards. Its body shot at a wicked angle up past the God of Ra, fathoms of coiled tail whipping dutifully behind it.  
  
Hovering in the still air with a power beyond flight, the God of Osiris positioned itself to attack. From its larger lower jaw grew a crackling orb of electric-yellow. Small lancelets of energy escaped from its mouth to tickle the darkness outside of it. Entire body outstretched and dangerously still, the Dragon God launched its attack, spewing out the concentrated energy in a whirr of static sound. The electric-yellow orb expanded into a meteor of lightning, an arc of jagged golden-yellow tailing its motion.  
  
The attack hit the God of Ra in a splendour of sound and light. Electric sparks sprayed and arched at all angles, dancing erratically in the darkness. Everything within a ten-metre radius of Ra was shrouded in a thick grey cloud. Even the darkness underneath where _It's_ God had been standing was cracked and parched, revealing some of the Ascotti hiding underneath. They gleamed luridly through the cracks, making the blemishes appear to glow.  
  
The Game King held his breath. Even with the evidence in front of his eyes, he dared not celebrate. The victory was too easy.  
  
The God of Osiris too sensed something wrong. It began to fly in agitated circles around the site of devastation, several coils of tail lashing back and forth with a life of its own. Unlike the Red Eyes Black Dragon, its eyes still gleamed with shrewd rage and intelligence akin to its soul.  
  
The final wisps of smoke parted to reveal nothing. Absolutely nothing save the serrated ground and vast black expanse. The God of Ra had disappeared.  
  
_It_ calmly watched the Revive Mud protecting him piece itself back together. His lips were twisted in an expression of either hatred, or amusement, or both. The manipulator of the Game spoke.  
  
It took the Game King a while to realize that _It_ was not addressing him. Instead, his opponent seemed to be talking to the still darkness around him. Unlike the first time he had beckoned his God, his voice now spat out sharp, guttural barks. They seemed to take a life of their own as they travelled throughout the expanse of the Game to whisper its secrets.  
  
Silence. Perfected stillness. Even the Ascotti leaking beneath the cracks were still.  
  
The entire sky of the Game suddenly turned blood-red. It was the perfected red of _It's_ eyes; an unrivalled deep crimson. From the canvas of pure scarlet emerged two golden slits. They whirled insatiably in a mixture of orange and gold.  
  
The Game King's lips were parted in awe. He felt himself unable to do anything but gape at this pure manifestation of terror. Despair began pumping tenfold in his heart. The God of Osiris looked like a sparrow lost in this sky of deathly crimson.  
  
_It's_ ruby-amethyst eyes were half-closed in glee. Though he still had a brilliant smile plastered on his face, it seemed mutated and twisted until his lips resembled a melted collage. _It's_ entire body was contorted at odd angles and had lost the human-like appearance. The manipulator of the Game opened what had been his mouth. "God of Ra. Destroy. Seek the Darkness. Bring the Darkness. Feed the Darkness."  
  
Yet the sound did not escape from _It_. Instead, the noise echoed from all corners of the Game, as if _It_ had become the Game itself.  
  
A sudden grating roar tore Yami's gaze away from _It's_ dilapidated form.  
  
The crimson sky began to bulge and contort. The area closest to Osiris suddenly protruded outwards to form a sharp, triangular shaped beak. Etched lines of red and black took a feather-like gradient as the golden- yellow slits served as eyes.  
  
This was the God of Ra. This was the God of Ra's final form.  
  
_It_ laughed, the surge of triumph everywhere at once. "Yes, Game King. Have you figured it out? Just like how my guise has fooled you, the God of Ra's second form was able to deceive your God of Osiris. This is-"  
  
Yami heard the words long before _It_ said them. He had known it all along. It was a losing battle; a hopeless Game from the start.  
  
Now, more than anything, he feared this end. He feared for the pain of his Light and of his own Dark existence.  
  
/We'll be okay./ Yuugi's sudden statement denied apprehension. It was resolute and strangely reassuring. /Keep on fighting, mou hitori no boku [1]. Let's fight until this end. You said it had to come./  
  
Was it really Yuugi's thoughts or an extension of his own? Yami's mind was clouded with uncertainly. In front of his eyes lay the God of Osiris, form easily shrouded by the true God of Ra. In front of his startling ruby eyes lay despair.  
  
A single tear trickled down the Game King's stoic expression. //No regrets, Aibou [2]? Not a single moment of fear, or hate, or longing?//  
  
It truly was Yuugi then. For there was a prolonged paused indicating self-thought and reflection. /You asked me the same thing when we faced the God of Osiris. We had been lucky then, and under the same circumstances. That experience has only made me bolder./ Another pause. /I would be lying if I said that I didn't hate, or fear, or long for something else. But everyone else is gone. I'm the only one left. The only _anything_, the only free soul left. So no, I do not regret being the last./  
  
The God of Ra spread its unending fiery wings, lighting the last dregs of darkness aflame with light. It's emblazoned head and was bared in a silent screech. With a deafening whoosh, it collected its entire form, burning light and crimson expanse, into a waterfall of sparkling energy. The flames poured straight into the God of Osiris's hapless figure.  
  
True to his soul, the Saint Dragon remained impassive. Even when the God of Ra had burned its armour pure-black and crackled its shells of skin, it did not back down or cringe in pain. More human than beast, the God of Osiris parted its jaws wide open. It seemed to be laughing wildly. The fabled Dragon God of power continued to stay on that position until the flames ate it whole.  
  
Something streaked through the darkness, barely visible under the gigantic God of Ra's bulk.  
  
The Seraph had died with power.  
  
Yami held in his breath, waiting for the fear-inflicting God to turn its fiery gaze towards him.  
  
It never happened. The God of Ra suddenly arched its titanic form so that the entire 'sky' of the Game bristled in anger.  
  
Was there something else hiding in the darkness of the Game? Yami forced his eyes to continue searching.  
  
Like a lumbering behemoth, yet another figure emerged from the vague shadowy distance. Its figure had been shrouded by both the brilliance of the God of Ra and the humble darkness of the Game 'ground'.  
  
Stoic and statuesque. That was the only way to describe this ground- based monster. It stood on twin legs, back upright and head implanted close to its stocky shoulders. The creature's entire frame was enveloped in a suit of rich peacock-blue. A single glimmer of red was etched in the center of its forehead.  
  
"And so, the last God joins the fight." _It's_ omniscient voice was crackled and blurred, sounding barely discernable. The noise was everywhere at once. "The God of Obelisk, God of strength, without the potential or power to succeed."  
  
The sky-incarnation of Ra began to swirl and distort, center of its bulky mass moving straight towards the God of Obelisk before reforming the eyes, beak, and feathers.  
  
Yami stared at this new arrival. There were no more souls left that he knew. Not unless. Could this be.?  
  
"You're too late." A pregnant pause ensued from the disembodied, choppy voice. "Cyber-droid."  
  
Obelisk seemed unfazed. It looked dully at the God of Ra quivering with rage and energy above it and gave a passive shake of its head.  
  
Enraged, the fiery God attacked, aflame once more in a glory of crimson and blood orange; massive figure burning brighter than the mid-day sun. Its head alone easily outsized the God of Obelisk.  
  
The Game King knew that size meant nothing. At least, that was his last insight on hope. It was childish really, how strongly he clung to winning, to being the victor in the most unfavourable situations. Surely defeat could not be that bad. Even Yuugi had said it was okay.  
  
But what drove him? What set Yami apart from his Light? What made the Game King want to overcome this Game, defeat _It_ once and for all, and dance glorious over his reputation? Yami sought above all else the thrill and emergence of the victorious.  
  
Because he too was no more than a projection of the Game. He had never desired anything else. Just like the Seraph, he too could not see anything else.  
  
The attack had died down. The God of Obelisk was still standing, as unfazed and as stoic as before. The only signs of the attack lay in the wisps of flame disappearing from the ground and shooting back into the burning sky. Ra shook its many-feathered wings in outrage.  
  
Yami felt what he had thought was his heart drop. He was only an illusion; a creation; a puppet. He wasn't really made to feel or think or exist. His only purpose was for the Game.  
  
It hurt so badly. To know that he wasn't really _human_. To know that those feelings and emotions roiling inside him were only a vague mimicry of memory's taken from his Light. Yes, his Light, his Aibou, his Mou Hitori no Ore [3], was the only reason he had become what he was.  
  
The two Gods were fighting. They were not Gods but merely toys of the Game that _It_ bought for entertainment. And _It_ too was just part of the Game.  
  
As he looked upon this battle and saw the Gods so obstinately attacking and shredding each other apart, the Game King lost the will to fight.  
  
His mind was still formulating. Yami clearly saw how Obelisk could win the Game. The God of Obelisk had a special strength, able to absorb the attack of allied monsters to add to its own. Yami speculated on how Ra could win. With _It's_ added influence, Ra could gain enough energy and momentum to overpower Obelisk.  
  
No more fighting. He was going to step out of this Game. He was no longer going to be a shadow pitching his existence on such shallow stakes. He would not let the Game manipulate him anymore.  
  
There was liberty, there was freedom, there was hope.  
  
And love. He could feel the love from vague recollections in Yuugi's mind. Yami longed to touch it as a tangible substance and proudly announce it as his own.  
  
The two Gods were still madly thrashing for dominance. It looked like Ra was winning now.  
  
/Yami?/ The innocent voice carried with it confusion. /Why are you not fighting?/  
  
Yami hesitated. The entire revelation had disappeared. The spectacular empires and kingdoms of wishes and desires had faded back into darkness. Only the hulking, leery face of the Game remained. This was his oppressor.  
  
//Nothing, little light. I am just merely contemplating.//  
  
Clash, roar. More fighting and show of dominance. Yami dared himself to ignore it.  
  
/About what?/  
  
The Game King hesitated. Truly about what? Did it really matter? Did his existence even matter? Oh, it did. To the Game it did. //Yuugi.// Hesitation. //Do you. love. me?//  
  
It sounded so silly and wrong coming from him, the Darkness's, mouth.  
  
All Yuugi did was laugh it away. It was so eloquently done too. /Of course! I love you more than anything! You are my other./  
  
Yes of course. Yami should have seen it before. The problem was that he didn't and hadn't. He wouldn't play this folly now.  
  
Not when the Game was waiting for him.  
  
There was no exchange of good-byes. Yami knew that his destiny had been set by the Game.  
  
Yuugi suddenly felt as if his entire body, once suspended in a hallway of two souls, being torn brutally back into solidity. He found himself staring through his own eyes at the Game. He moved backwards in shock. His arms and legs complied.  
  
/Yami?/ Yuugi clutched his chest. It was as if someone had tore a chunk of his essence apart from him. It hurt - it hurt so badly. He gasped, dropping to his knees. /YAMI!/  
  
The trusting crimson eyes stared back. They looked at Yuugi full of joy and longing.  
  
Never once did Yuugi see him as something else. Not even when Yami, this soul of Yami seated in a shell of a monster garbed in pure black, raised its scythe defensively against Ra, did Yuugi view him as otherwise. The boy's mind refused to.  
  
The God of Obelisk turned his weary body towards this last non-God monster. The monster Yami assumed, a stronger version of the Dark Magician titled the 'Dark Paladin', nodded briefly in consent. No words were exchanged between the two _creatures_ of the Game.  
  
With every beginning comes an end. It was such a bad cliché, used and overused again and again. But the worn clichés were the ones that contained the most wisdom.  
  
The Dark Paladin disappeared, merging its power, energy, and strength into that of Obelisk's. With a final raise of its fist like a tribute to an unknown presence, the God of Obelisk lifted its head to stare squarely into Ra's golden ones. The gargantuan blue-tinged God raised its fist backwards, aiming slightly, before shooting them forwards in a crushing blow.  
  
Yuugi once had thought that his budding relationship with Yami was just the beginning of something great. But now all that lay in front of him was a wreck of chaos and blackened ooze of the Game's worn walls. Ascotti glimmered weakly in the background.  
  
Carnage and ruin everywhere. Destruction as far as the eye could see. This was the Game. This was all that the Game was about. Everything was expendable. Even the defeated _It_ was expendable.  
  
With a howl full of rage and denial, _Its_ crackling voice broke into millions of fragments of sound. _It_ had poured all its energy and existence into the God of Ra, and now paid the price.  
  
The Game, though favourable to certain conditions, knew no true allies. The Game was just. the Game.  
  
Yuugi had won. He had only sacrificed part of himself and the souls of others to win. Why _It_ had not drawn on more souls remained a mystery to Yuugi. Perhaps _It_ made mistakes too.  
  
And suddenly _It_ did not seem so all-powerful to the small boy.  
  
Yes boy. Yuugi was still a boy. He was still as human, as weak and as vulnerable as before. The Millennium Puzzle glimmered. It seemed to dig into his chest.  
  
With lacklustre violet eyes, Yuugi looked into the caving pits of Ascotti leaking like lava around him. They greedily ate up the Darkness of the Game and dared to consume him whole.  
  
And even when Yuugi dropped like a wounded bird into the pools of glowing "1's" and "0's" and felt it stinging his skin in acidic ferver, he came to one fleeting conclusion.  
  
He had won.  
  
*****************************************  
  
A small boy bearing a crown of scarlet, gold, and ebony stood in a labyrinth filled with wires and chrome contraptions. He was staring confused at a single screen in the center. The screen stared back.  
  
He blankly placed a hand on one of the many buttons situated by the screen. Some of the wires began to hum and the screen suddenly lit up.  
  
~*~ "Dark Games, created by a warped reality, luring its contestants into false security and consuming them one by one. Shadow Games, which promised desires beyond imagination, in exchange for a human soul." ~*~  
  
There was a nearby chair. The boy neatly set the body lying limply on the chair to one side before seating himself on it and staring at the screen.  
  
~*~ "You are still young." Grandpa avoided the question altogether. "Too young to understand the reality of the Game." His solemn, pale lavender eyes continued to bear onto Yuugi's dark violet ones. "You cannot escape the Game, Yuugi. It surrounds you, even as we speak. But, you can win. Only by winning can you survive." ~*~  
  
His other hand went to the keyboard.  
  
*****************************************  
  
My name is Yuugi.  
  
I once thought I was the last human. But there are still others out there. Many others; others I can't see or comprehend or understand. They are scattered in cities unable to contact each other. Their lairs are called Sectors. It could be Sector 01 or Sector 302. Mine was assigned to be Sector 09.  
  
The double X before the code word '09' describes the state of my city. 'Busy' cities have one X. Abandoned ones had three.  
  
This is what Grandpa wanted to show me before I lost my memory. I have regained it now. I know this is what he wanted.  
  
It took me a while to be in the coming. It took me longer to learn when I had no clue.  
  
Was it a fluke? No. We, us humans, are all destined to come here. We are the chosen ones.  
  
My name is Yuugi Mutou, and I reside in sector XX09.  
  
Some of you may know me as _It_.  
~~ Owari~~~  
  
*********************************************  
  
End notes:  
  
[1] "Mou hitori no boku" - 'my other self'. Yuugi uses it to address Yami in Battle City episodes.  
  
[2] "Aibou" - 'partner'. Yami uses it to address Yuugi.  
  
[3] "Mou hitori no ore" - another 'my other self' reference, just written differently ^^;  
  
*giggles madly* I got it done! I got it done! IgotitdoneIgotitdone! Whee! I love the creation of caffeine!  
  
An attached "end notes" section has been added for your convenience. Flames will be used to light up the God of Ra  
  
. anyone want to play the Game? 


	10. End notes

Final End notes:  
  
Author's notes: The itenary for this useless end-notes section will be as follows: Reviewer thanks, then some random fic commentary, and then a new fic trailer. Enjoy!  
  
*****************************************  
  
Special thanks go out to PH-san (who took the time to dutifully edit chapters 5-7, even when she was really busy ^^;;;), Myst-Lady (I've never actually watched Buffy - is it good?), Melinda (thanks for the e-mail!), Sailor Comet (^^;;; I unfortunately don't get that much online time), Lily22 (Arigatou for being my crutch back there~), Snare-chan (haven't seen you for a while ;_;), NC-san (mouse balls, mouse balls! XD) Atarashii-san (my 100% online buddy) and Fiery Charizard (for being such a wonderful co-authoress in 'Scarlet Fangs').  
  
And of course a domo arigatou out to all of you others who spent some time voicing your thoughts in a review: EmeraldPhoenix524 (hey~ I haven't seen you around for a while - hope you're still writing), Queen of Games (see? It got less violent ^^;;), Sarah (Well, 'interesting' would definitely explain the end…), Zheyta (after this, I'll start working on Nocturne, 'Club 0013''s subsidiary arc), firedraygon97 (do my fics really make you think about life? Nifty ~ XD), Mijikai (Oooh! You must finish that Metropolis-centered YGO fic ^_~), Alecto Perdita (You know, I've been waiting since _forever_ for you to update 'Gifted'), Yami-kun (arigatou! Oh - I really enjoyed that random '44 things to do at Walmart' forward you sent me XD), Talia Ali (you know, I admire your writing style too ^-^), '?' (interesting name… anyway, I have no clue how 'old' Ryou is. The Game time goes differently than normal time because it is all about how _It_ wants it to be), TAFKAE (;_; I'm sorry for making you sad *hands over a Yuugi plushie*), Jadej.j (domo arigatou for reading this unworthy fic~), Bishiehuggler (*glomps* How have you been doing? I'm glad you don't find my fics confuzzling cause that's what makes my writing style… well… unique ^^;;;), Cyberkat (arigatou ^_^=), Poik! (*thud* Zoop?), Rosz of the Angel (thanks for the steadfast encouragement - it really did help me going :) ) Shenya (XD, for a person who writes review responses for each of your chapters, I can finally sympathize with you…), phoenixfeather (You actually think my characters' emotions are realistic? *sniffles and starts getting teary eyes* ), Nicole Silverwolf (it is always an honour to see other brilliant writers like you leave a review - keep up the great work yourself ^_~).   
  
Whew! I hope I didn't miss anyone. This fic, though arguably not up to the style of 'Club 0013', has taken its spot as that beautiful thorn in my rear. Several times during the length of it, I would get writer's block and just sit there staring at the screen. But you wanna know a secret? Okay… get ready.  
  
… I can talk to dead stuffed animals.   
  
^^;; Yes, believe it or not, the entire twist in the Game with 'dead' people's souls being monsters came when I looked at the stuffed animals surrounding my laptop and tried to talk to them. No I am not going insane. I've been there already.   
  
I also noticed that this fic is one of the most commonly misnamed fics. Okay, surely not as bad as 'Club 003' or 'Club 25', but it's had its awkward moments… *giggles*.   
  
There were a lot of themes and imagery within this fic. If you're interested, I'll take some time in noting them. Otherwise, you can just skip this part and go to the new fic trailer.   
  
1)Throughout the fic I made many references to the 'eyes'. Whether the eyes belonged to someone terrible, or someone dying, it symbolized the continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth (ascension). After all, the entire Game was based on that idea. Hope some of you caught that one!  
  
2)_It's_ minions were indefinably beasts of some fantastical sort, though I never specified what they were. Most of you probably saw them as hounds/wolves, but I deliberately left it vague so you could fabricate your own images. After all, aren't we _humans_?   
  
3)Before the end conclusion, you'll notice that Yuugi was in a labyrinth of some sort. This represents the core of the 'Game'. Chosen human create their own Games using the technology in the core. Humans in different Sectors do not interfere with each other's Games. Just had to say that before someone e-mailed me and asked this ^^;;;  
  
4)'Little light' was basically one of my more subtle secrets. If you translated that to French and Japanese, you get 'Petite-Hikarie'. A little tribute to PH-san's beta-ing skills~  
  
5)The original _It_ Yuugi was fighting was Y.Malik. Malik was the God of Ra. Easy simple. Why did Y.Malik, if he controlled the entire Game, let Yuugi win? Well, would you _really_ want to play the Game for the rest of your existence?  
  
6) The summoning monsters idea came from Final Fantasy X. I actually haven't finished the game (I'm still in Bevelle ^^;;), but I really liked it, so thus the morbid theme in this fic.  
  
7)In the last chapter, I had a short paragraph on clichés. After receiving some nice random flames for previous fics, clichés have become my pet peeve. I love them and hate them at the same time.   
  
8)Yami would have been _It_, but unlike both Y.Bakura and Y.Malik, he was willing to sacrifice his own soul to let Yuugi win. The other two ended up sacrificing their Light's souls. So maybe… just maybe the Game will change for the better….  
  
9)Aren't my fic lengths easy to predict? 'Club 0013' had 13 chapters and 'XX09' has 9. Then again, I'm probably the only YGO authoress who incorporates random numbers and letters into their story titles ...  
  
10) As for the vampire joke I made at the end notes of chapter 7, some of you caught that you can't see a vampire through its reflection. I know. That's why I need more sleep. XD  
  
Eevee muse: -_-;; I almost fell asleep reading your end notes!  
  
Zoo: ^^;;; Well, I thought it would be better to put up a generic Q&A than to be e-mailed later.   
  
Eevee muse: …. Lazy!  
  
Zoo: Hey! I may be lazy, but I have…… Malik's golden silk boxers! *pulls out the aforementioned* Mmm… silky…..   
  
Eevee muse: Hey! Didn't those belong to Sam?  
  
Zoo: Well, you can't catch me! *runs away laughing insanely*  
:::::::::::::Trailer:::::::::::::::::  
*He gazed upwards in awe. The entire sky seemed shrouded with them. They soared and dipped their leathery wings until the noise reverberated like millions of heartbeats.   
  
A glimmer of sunlight shot through the clouds and bathed their dull shadows in a dazzling rainbow of light. They glistened jewel-like against the sapphire backdrop.*  
~~~~ Total number of dragons accounted for:   
3456 ~~~~~  
  
  
* "Everyone's talking about you." The shorter boy faced his friend in surprise. "With your Gift, you'll be the greatest dragon Duelist yet!"  
  
The other simply shook his head, dazzling white-hair brushing past his shoulders. "It's not that simple Yuugi."*  
  
~~~~Number of dragon Duels fought:  
56, 203 ~~~~~  
  
* A small beady held covered in white film searched vainly for its Master. Dragon-bonding during birth was a dangerous task and often discouraged.   
  
The richer class was wiling to risk it. The sooner the bonding, the more the experience Dueling.  
  
Ryou looked away from the pitiful hatchling dragon.*  
  
~~~~Number of dragon deaths:  
0109 ~~~~  
  
* He strained, fighting against the tugging restraint of the coils, moving his limbs vainly against the weight. Anger, frustration, and denial boiled in his mind, obscuring all other thoughts. Blinded by this pure rage, he fought, unaware that his genetically manipulated instincts were doing the same.   
  
"Shit!" The scientist's eyes widened, panicked voice rising above the alarm bell. "I need more restraints! He's going to try and shift!"*  
  
~~~~ Number of genetically-created dragons:  
0000 ~~~~  
*At last, the scientist gave a sigh of relief, walking cautiously towards the prone form while some others did the same. He then rubbed his forehead, sighing in exasperation. "'Give me a dragon', they tell me, 'and make it a freaking black one.' And oh, let's not forget that black dragons are _uncontrollable_!" The scientist's last words ended in a harried shriek.*  
  
~~~~~ Number of dragons unaccounted for:  
???? ~~~~  
*"Name?" the other prompted again.   
  
The scientist sighed. "Yami. Call it - him - Yami. The dragon of Darkness."  
  
She nodded. "Right. We'll ship out… Yami by sunset."*  
~~~ Zoo Industries presents:  
  
"Blood Dragon"  
  
Rated R  
  
Coming this March ~~~  
************************************************  
  
Questions, comments, and fic requests can be mailed to: chibizoo@yahoo.com  
"XX09" belongs to J Zoo, who is by no means associated with Kazuki Takahashi. 


End file.
